The killing of two individuals in a mob beating on suspicion of stealing a van in Taraganj, Rangpur has shocked the nation. This brutality has horrified and disturbed conscientious citizens.
A video of the lynching has already spread on social media. When the so-called “best of creation” falls from grace, the depths to which they can sink is exemplified by this incident.
The video shows the two terrified men pleading with folded hands for their lives, repeatedly requesting that they be handed over to the army or police if necessary. But what did such pleas matter to the beasts and fiends in human form?
It is said that on 28 July, a child was murdered in the area and a van was stolen. Locals were already enraged. But no matter how angry they were, no one has the right to take the law into their own hands.
The very thought of killing someone in such a barbaric way merely on suspicion, without resorting to the law, sends shivers down the spine. In an independent country, every citizen has an inherent right to security of life and property regardless of religion, race, or caste.
The law enforcement agencies have already arrested four people in connection with the incident. We believe that wherever mob beatings occur, they must be stopped immediately and those involved must face legal action. The recent surge in such incidents is alarming. This goes against the rule of law and reflects a deep public distrust in it.
According to statistics from the legal rights group Ain o Salish Kendra (ASK), between January 1 and August 10 of this year, 111 people have died as victims of mob beatings or mob violence.
This trend, coupled with a culture of impunity, has created fear among the public and is eroding social harmony. The Human Rights Support Society (HRSS) states that between August 2024 and the following 10 months, 143 people were killed in mob attacks. Between 2015 and 2025, at least 816 people have been killed in 1,009 such incidents. Yet justice is rare.
Even more worrying is that in such cases, not only do ordinary conscientious citizens fail to intervene, but their helplessness is often painfully evident. In many instances, law enforcement personnel themselves hesitate to step in to protect people in danger, partly because many still carry trauma from past incidents. The “fear of mob violence” remains etched in their minds.
The recent spate of lynchings and mob terror is truly tragic. Even from these isolated incidents, we can see clearly where we are living today and the depths of inhumanity we have reached.
Analyzing the social and psychological context of these events only deepens our despair. This raises one critical question: why has our society deteriorated to this state? Across different layers of society, anger, frustration, unrest, and instability still persist. In some cases, these have taken such deep root that we are witnessing one unexpected tragedy after another.
To prevent this, we need to strengthen the rule of law in the country. We must rebuild public respect for and trust in the law. Needless to say, patience is also an indispensable requirement for this journey.