The secret meeting held at the Dorchester Hotel in London on May 13 between BNP acting chairman Tarique Rahman and the interim government’s chief adviser, Muhammad Yunus, has raised fears of renewed political violence and mob attacks in Bangladesh.
Within days of these discussions, incidents of โmob justiceโ or gang-related revenge violence have begun to emerge across the country. Political analysts say that the โsynchronised timelineโ of the meeting is particularly striking in light of this recent sequence.
Patiya police chief transferred after threat of bloodshed by Yunusโ mob gang
Yunus Gangโs โmobโ and โpressure groupโ theory
The number of extrajudicial killings of the Awami League leaders and activists is also increasing, with the BNP men being involved in most of the attacks by creating mobs. They are also attacking houses and taking control of businesses forcibly.
The alarming rise of mob violence
The general public is increasingly concerned about the law and order during the interim government’s rule after the fall of Sheikh Hasina’s government. Mob violence has taken a terrifying turn since August 5 last year.
Many ordinary citizens, even former government officials, have been victims of politically motivated attacks. The destruction of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman’s house in the capital’s Dhanmondi and the attack on a former minister’s house in Gazipur are evidence of the depth and spread of violence.
Punishment on the streets instead of justice: The new reality
Recently, the assault and humiliation by a BNP mob on former Chief Election Commissioner Nurul Huda in Dhaka’s Uttara created a huge stir. The video of the attack went viral on social media, where the police were seen present but did not intervene. Huda was shown arrested in a case filed by the BNP on the same day. Some of the attackers were arrested, but they got bail within a day.
What political analysts say
According to analysts, a culture of bypassing the law and taking justice into one’s own hands is being established, which is a warning sign for a civilised and democratic state. They say, “This kind of violence is not only terrifying political opponents, but also ordinary citizens.”
Attack on Patgram police station
A group of 200-250 people linked to the BNPโs Jubo Dal and Swechchhasebak Dal attacked the Patgram police station on Wednesday night and vandalised various rooms. They also damaged the police van and snatched two people, who were sentenced to one month in prison by a mobile court for collecting tolls from trucks and giving money receipts in Sareo Bazar area.
Another group of 60-70 BNP supporters obstructed a team from the nearby Hatibandha police station when they were going to Patgram to protect their colleagues.
Narayanganj, Sylhet, Cumilla: Violence is spreading across the country
On June 29, a former vice-president of the metropolitan BNP was stripped naked and beaten in Narayanganj due to internal BNP conflicts.
On May 13, BNP-backed lawyers chased Judge Momtaz Begum in the Dhaka court premises. On April 18, an attempt was made to attack former law minister Anisul Haque on the court premises in Narayanganj. The protest blocking the convoy of government advisers in Jaflong, Sylhet, is also a continuation of political mob terrorism.
Attack on the house of Ha-Meem Group MD AK Azad
On July 3, leaders and activists of the metropolitan BNP attacked the house of Ha-Meem Group Managing Director AK Azad in Faridpur, alleging that a ‘secret meeting of the Awami League was being held’. They took out a procession from the scene and went to different areas. The police went to the scene and said that they did not find anyone.
Disabled person tied to tree and killed in Jashore
On July 2, Rafiqul Islam, a mentally disabled person, was tied to a tree and beaten to death by local BNP workers in Jhikargachha, Jashore, for expressing anger against Muhammad Yunus over the cessation of social safety net allowance. There is no evidence of political involvement against the deceased. Rather, locals said that he was only protesting to get his allowance back.
Three members of the same family killed in Cumilla
A mob in Muradnagar, Comilla, beat and hacked to death three members of a family on charges of being involved in the drug trade. Police say that the long-standing anger of the locals acted as a provocation behind the murder.
Hindu rape victim filmed, tortured
On the night of June 26, a mob in Muradnagar, angry over the rape allegation against a man named Fajr Ali, stripped him and the Hindu woman and beat them up. When the video of the incident went viral, it sparked a storm of criticism on social media. Fajr Ali is a drug dealer who identifies himself as an influential BNP leader.
Violence and extrajudicial reprisals have increased at an alarming rate in Bangladeshi politics. The kind of violence that has been spreading during the interim government led by Yunus indicates the indifference of the law enforcement agencies and political repression.
According to analysts, the recent series of โmob justiceโ and political violence that has been taking place in Bangladesh is not just a deterioration in the law and order; rather, there is a well-planned political project behind it. They believe that the BNP and some sections of the interim government are jointly encouraging a violent culture, the main purpose of which is to suppress the opposition, spread fear, and weaken state discipline.
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