A tragic incident took place last Saturday night in Ghanirampur village under Kursha Union of Taraganj upazila in Rangpur. That night, Rup Lal Das and his niece’s husband, Pradip Das, were killed in a mob beating.
Their families are now in mourning, asking one question—what was their fault? Rup Lal Das was a cobbler, a shoe repairman, while Pradip Das was a van puller. While marriage negotiations were underway between Rup Lal’s daughter and a young man, the two were accused of being van thieves and beaten to death by a mob.
On July 28, a child in the area was murdered and a van stolen. Locals had been agitated, but without seeking legal recourse, they took the law into their own hands and, based solely on suspicion, killed the two men.
Such an incident raises the question—what kind of country are we living in? Is this not a “mugger’s land” or a “mob’s domain”? What does this signify?
In recent times, the formation of mobs leading to lynchings has become an alarming trend in the country. Ordinary people are becoming easily agitated and, due to a lack of respect for and trust in the law, are taking matters into their own hands.
Many innocent and helpless people are becoming victims of such acts. Wherever such incidents occur, they must be taken seriously and investigated immediately. Otherwise, one after another, these unwanted incidents will continue to raise troubling questions in people’s minds, fueling greater social unrest and instability.
Recent cases—such as three members of the same family beaten to death in Muradnagar, Cumilla; a factory worker in Gazipur tied up and killed over theft allegations; and two young men killed in Mirpur—have created a sense of insecurity among the public.
According to the Human Rights Support Society (HRSS), from August 2024 to the following 10 months, 143 people were killed in mob beatings. From 2015 to 2025, in 1,009 incidents of mob violence, at least 816 people lost their lives—yet such killings are rarely brought to justice.
The recent hacking to death of journalist Tuhin in Gazipur, in broad daylight before onlookers, also exposed the helplessness of the public. Questions are now being raised about police failures in such cases. Not only ordinary people, but even police officers often lack the courage to protect people in danger—because they too have been targeted and killed.
Fear now grips everyone; like Tuhin, they too could be murdered, and nothing significant would happen to the perpetrators. Even if arrested, they would exploit legal loopholes to walk free again.
In a developing country, we must carefully consider why such a situation has emerged and work to restore public trust in the law and justice system.
The claim that law and order has not improved—or that the rule of law is lacking—is confirmed by the Inspector General of Police’s own statement. According to a report in The Daily Ittefaq yesterday, even after one year of the interim government, the police have not been able to recover to the desired level.
Following the student–public uprising, discipline has yet to be fully restored within this crucial force. They themselves operate under a “fear of mob violence,” making it difficult for them to protect others. Additionally, there are various internal crises within the force. All this shows how vital the role of the police is in improving law and order.
Therefore, to stop mob lynching and other crimes, the police must be restored to their former level of capability and be mentally inspired and motivated once again.
