No State Crossfire or Disappearances, but Mob Killings Continue—Now Even More Than Before

Opinion

Writing this on a Friday holiday with a heavy heart. Look at the picture, think about it! A man was brutally beaten and had his head crushed with bricks and stones in front of countless people. Afterward, two young men climbed onto the bloodied corpse—one slapped the dead body, the other kicked it. This horrific barbarity took place in front of Sir Salimullah Medical (Mitford) Hospital in Old Dhaka. No one tried to stop it. No one uttered a word. This is what Bangladesh has become!

The name of the murdered man is Lal Chand alias Sohag. He was a scrap trader in Old Dhaka and was once involved with the politics of Jubo Dal. His village home is in Barguna Sadar. His 14-year-old daughter Sohana is in sixth grade, and his 11-year-old son Sohan is in fourth grade. Tell me, what does Bangladesh mean to these two children?

In a country where there is no security for human life and no sense of humanity, what else is needed to destroy it? This is why all the past development and current reform talks seem meaningless to me. Because nothing can be more important than a human life. While a single life cannot be gained in exchange for the entire world, in this country people are killed in mob attacks like a celebration, and the state remains silent!

In the CCTV footage, it is seen that this incident occurred in front of many people on a busy street. People watched out of curiosity, but no one intervened. There was even an Ansar camp nearby responsible for the hospital’s security. None of them came forward either.

Anyone can read today’s lead news in Samakal if they wish. Dhaka Metropolitan Police Additional Commissioner (Crime & Operations) S. N. Nazrul Islam told Samakal, “I’ve never seen such brutality before.” He said people are becoming restless. A portion of the youth is going out of control. If discipline and unity do not prevail in society, the danger will only increase. What happened on top of the bloodied corpse is indescribable. This behavior is beyond imagination.

Not just Sohag’s killing—brutal murders are happening in various parts of the country including Dhaka. Yesterday in Chattogram, after killing a housewife, her body was cut into 11 pieces.

According to Samakal’s report, 136 people were murdered in the capital alone in the four months from January to April this year. Nationwide, the number is 1,244. In the first four months of 2021, the number in Dhaka was 55, in 2022 it was 54, in 2023 it was 51, and in 2024 it was 47. Nationwide figures are: 294 in January, 308 in February, 316 in March, and 336 in April.

Forget the numbers—just think once: what is the future of a country where people are killed in mob attacks like celebrations? Media reports say that in the first five months of this year, 141 mob attacks have occurred in different parts of the country, resulting in 52 deaths.

Think about it! There may be no state crossfire or disappearances now, but mob killings continue. So, is there no value to human life in this country? Will this barbarism, ongoing for years, continue forever?

For years I’ve been writing about the right to life and freedom of expression. No matter how many incidents or crises occur in a country, if these two remain intact, that country cannot be stopped. And if these two fall into crisis, no amount of development or change can prevent disaster. In Bangladesh, in every era and under every regime, these two have always been violated. They still are. Not a single day in the last 54 years of this country’s history has come when these two rights were fully respected.

Remember, every human being on this planet has the right to live. A human life cannot be gained in exchange for the entire world. So regardless of ideology, politics, belief, or religion, no one has the right to attack or kill another human being. But in this country, in every regime and at all times, people have been killed.

Every human being has the right to live. Even the worst person on earth does not deserve to be physically assaulted or killed without due process.

Please remember, a human life cannot be gained in exchange for the entire world. So regardless of ideology, politics, or religion, no one has the right to attack or kill another person. If such an incident happens before our eyes, we must protest.

I’ve always said and written—every death is painful. The blood of all who die is red. The mourning and wailing of their loved ones are the same. So who are we killing? We’re all citizens of Bangladesh.

Let me repeat—if these mob killings are not stopped, if at the end of the day we fail to be human, if we don’t uphold humanity, then all will be in vain. May the Almighty awaken our conscience.

I don’t know where the state authorities are. May Allah give them conscience! May He give conscience to us all! May Bangladesh be well! May every human being be well!

Shariful Hasan
Political Analyst and Columnist