Naimur Rahman Rizvi
Mob justice is a kind of justice that occurs when people take the law into their own hands to punish someone through beating, torture, killing, damaging, communal attacks, assault, and kidnapping. It is increasing day by day. For a few days, we have seen criticism of this topic on social media. Rumors, theft, misinformation, irresponsible law enforcement, lack of awareness about legal rights, and delays in legal action are the major reasons for mob justice. It is against
the sections of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights—1948 (UDHR) and the constitution of Bangladesh. These crises, escalating mob violence, and the erosion of legal norms pose a  significant threat to Bangladesh fragile democratic aspirations and the interim government path to success. The government should take measurable steps to minimize this issue.
It’s a more discussed issue in Bangladesh, especially after 5 August, when the Awami government collapsed. Because after their collapse power structure and judicial system became weaker as they existed in power for about 17 years, and the interim government took much time to reform authority. On the other hand, Bangladesh police began to lose public sympathy due to their widely perceived excessive use of force, arbitrary arrests, and failure to act impartially
during the July uprising. That’s why people have trust issues with law enforcement officers.
After the uprising, some police stations were empty; police forces fled from the stations because of intimidation. People take this chance; they snatch people from police custody, loot the treasury from the thana treasury, and arson attacks at the station. During that time, numerous arson attacks
occurred on police stations across various parts of the country. According to reports, 13 police stations in Dhaka were completely burned during the unrest on 5
and 6 August 2024. In total, 21 out of 50 police stations under the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) were vandalized and set on fire during this period. According to official statements from the Bangladesh Police, seven police stations in Chittagong were burnt and destroyed during this
unrest.
Following the ouster of the Sheikh Hasina-led government on August 5 amid a student-led mass uprising, the head teachers and principals of different schools and colleges have also been forced to resign across the country.Many people believe that police investigations are slow, corrupt, biased, delayed, and influenced
by money and power; that’s why people don’t rely on police. And it’s the major cause of mob justice. It is also true that mob justice has already taken horrible form in Bangladesh.   False news or rumors, especially on social media, can quickly trigger anger and panic. Social anxiety and dissatisfaction with the justice system, immediate emotional reaction, desire for revenge, and  a general distrust of justice all contribute to the increase in mob violence.  Have we forgotten Tofazzal? He went crazy after his parents and brother died. If somebody offered him food, he would gladly eat. On 20 September, from 6:30 pm onwards, Dhaka

University students tortured him, fed him, and then killed him for the allegation of theft. This incident touches our hearts very badly. According to a report, 128 Mob Lynching Deaths were reported in 2024, with 96 occurring in August–December. The statistics show not only how serious the issue is but also how much public morality has failed.According to the Human Rights Support Society (HRSS), since the interim government entered
office in August 2024, there has been a sharp increase in mob beatings, with at least 119 persons deaths and 74 injured in 114 incidents. This organization said the highest number of mob beatings in the last decade occurred in 2024.In 2025, at least 30 incidents were reported in the first two months alone, resulting in 19 fatalitiesand 20 injuries, according to the HRSS statement. A culture of impunity has grown over timebecause the offender failed to face justice, which has kept many of them at large.Some people resort to mob justice so that they can prove the interim government is a failure to deliver justice. They try to contradict the government. The interim government should play a responsible role to save lives, property, and citizens and bring the criminals to justice. Stopping
the culture of impunity and banning fake social media accounts that spread rumors, freeing the judiciary and law enforcement from corruption and irresponsiveness, increasing intelligence surveillance in susceptible areas, creating awareness about mob justice, and ensuring the rule of
law without delay can prevent mob justice. Is it possible for an interim government to ensure justice without the help of citizens? I think the
answer is no. So, we must control our emotions; we have played a cooperative role with the government. We own this nation. We must not treat our nation and fellow citizens unfairly. No one will attempt to instigate chaos if we consistently oppose all kinds of criminal activities. Our
future generation will be proud of us if we do anything well.

The writer is a student, department of Public Administration,Comilla University