The Manabadhikar Shongskriti Foundation (MSF), a human rights organisation, has expressed deep concern over a severe deterioration in the country’s overall human rights situation due to the culture of impunity of the Jamaat-controlled, army-backed interim government, led by Nobel Peace laureate Prof. Muhammad Yunus.
According to its latest monthly report for January, released on Saturday, incidents of mob violence (often referred to as “mob justice” or lynching) doubled compared to December, alongside alarming rises in the recovery of unidentified dead bodies and attacks on minorities. The report was signed by MSF Executive Director Saidur Rahman.
Mob Violence And Impunity
In January, there were 28 incidents of mob beating/lynching, resulting in 21 deaths, mostly members of the Awami League and its affiliated bodies.
This compares to 24 incidents and 10 deaths in December. MSF describes mob killings as a serious criminal offense equivalent to extrajudicial execution. The rising trend reflects growing public distrust in the justice system and institutional weaknesses.
Unidentified Bodies And Custodial Deaths
The number of unidentified (unclaimed) bodies recovered rose to 57 in January, up from 48 in December. This increase heightens fears of enforced disappearances, violence, and extrajudicial killings in society.
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Custodial deaths also increased: 15 deaths occurred in prison custody (up from 9 in December) and 2 in law enforcement custody. MSF notes that the rise in torture-related deaths indicates that custodial torture remains a structural problem.
Minority Persecution
Attacks on minorities surged dramatically, from 4 incidents in December to 15 in January. These included vandalism of idols, arson on homes, and communal violence by Touhidi Janata extremists. MSF views this resurgence as evidence of weak state protection mechanisms.
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Political And Election-Related Violence
MSF identified election-related violence as one of the most severe crises in January. Political violence deaths rose from 1 to 4, with a notable increase in injuries as well. This signals that the electoral process is veering toward deadly conflict.
Criticism Of Cases And Police Role
The report criticises the abnormal inflation of accused numbers in post-government-change cases. In January, the number of named accused rose from 30 to 120, and the number of unnamed accused from 110 to 320 (compared to prior levels). MSF argues this raises serious questions about the transparency and fairness of legal processes, pointing to signs of political vendetta and mass filing of cases.
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In his statement, Executive Director Saidur Rahman said: โEnsuring law and order improvement and protection of life and property is the primary duty of the forces. Yet we see that in January, police have prioritised inflating the number of accused in cases against Awami League (banned activities) and its affiliate leaders and activists.โ He further alleged that instead of preventing mob terror, some government quarters are justifying it, which is highly alarming.
Overall, MSF observes negative trends across nearly all major human rights indicators in January, underscoring the ongoing impact of political instability and a culture of impunity.
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