In broad daylight, in front of Mitford Hospital in the capital, a scrap dealer named Chand, also known as Sohag (39), was brutally murdered.
A group of assailants attacked him with cement blocks, stones, and iron rods, then hacked him with a machete. At one point, he was stripped naked, and the killers jumped on his corpse.
A video of this barbaric incident went viral on social media last Friday, leaving us speechless. The entire country erupted in protest. What’s shocking is that although this gruesome murder took place in front of people, many just stood there and watched.
No one stepped forward to save him. This shows the kind of insecurity we are living in! In a society plagued by fear and a culture of silence, preventing crime is out of the question — people often can’t even summon the courage to speak up. When will we be free from this?
Lately, there seems to be a rise in gruesome killings across the country. On the same day, a political leader was shot and had his tendons severed in front of his own home in Khulna. In Chandpur, there was an attempted machete attack on a mosque imam.
Earlier, in the Roufabad area of Chattogram city, a heartless husband hacked his wife to death and scattered her dismembered body in 11 pieces across different locations. These incidents surpass even the barbarity of the Age of Ignorance (Jahiliyyah)! We are left speechless by these murders. It feels like we are living in a hellscape.
According to one statistic, from September 2024 to June this year, 153 people were killed in 253 brutal incidents. Another 312 were injured. Many fell victim to mob violence. Analysts say that due to political influence, a lack of justice, and the absence of rule of law, ordinary people are often taking the law into their own hands.
It is worth noting that such brutal incidents are happening not only in cities but also in villages nowadays. Despite the spread of education, advancements in information technology, and socioeconomic progress, we seem to be losing our humanity and civility. Just as instability and chaos are prevalent globally, Bangladesh is not exempt.
Our society has undergone rapid transformation in recent times; but where are compassion, tolerance, and stability? What does this indicate? Specifically, under what circumstances do people take the law into their own hands? In most cases, the public wonders: what’s the point of going to the police or court?
The long, expensive process of pursuing justice discourages people — many end up bankrupt, forced to sell their homes and belongings. As a result, when people become helpless and hostage to extortionists, thugs, and criminals, they often remain passive even when witnessing such brutality.
Because they know that nothing will come of it — worse, they may end up in trouble themselves. Those in power often shelter and support these criminals. So where is the real change in the country?
It goes without saying that politics in our country is becoming increasingly ugly, fueling people’s despair. Trust in law and order is eroding. In a society where one can hire killers for a small amount of money, how can we confidently say that brutal murders will stop?
Therefore, we believe that the tendency to take the law into one’s own hands is extremely dangerous. It poses a major threat to establishing the rule of law. Hence, it is essential to resolve high-profile and sensational cases as quickly as possible — in the public interest and for the sake of restoring law and order.