Mobs beat to death five people, including two women, and injured 10 others on suspicion of being child kidnappers.

Four of those attacked were mentally challenged women. Three policemen trying to save one of them were also beaten up in Lalmonirhat.

Incidents of mob beating have increased even after the bridges authorities on July 9 issued a warning against the spreading of rumours about the Padma Bridge authorities needing to sacrifice people at the construction site.

The Police Headquarters yesterday said legal actions would be taken against anyone involved in spreading the rumours or mob beatings.

Yesterday’s incidents happened a day after three people, including a woman, were beaten by a mob in Thakurgaon.

The Police Headquarters release said it was aware of a rumour being spread about human sacrifices needed at the construction site of Padma Bridge.

“Lynching on suspicion is a criminal offence … Spreading rumours that destabilise the environment is an anti-state act,” it added. 

In the capital’s Badda, Taslima Begum Renu, 40, a single mother of two was beaten dead around 8:30am yesterday when she went to Uttar Badda Government Primary School to ask about the admission process, police said.

Her nephew Nasir Uddin Tito filed a case against 400 or 500 unknown people with Badda Police Station last night.

Locals told police that some locals thought that she was a child kidnapper and attacked her.

“We are trying to arrest those involved,” Badda Police Station SI Masudur told the newspaper. He, quoting the family, said the woman was mentally ill.

Her body was sent to Dhaka Medical College morgue for autopsy.

Another woman aged around 32 died at Dhaka Medical College Hospital yesterday evening, hours after she was beaten up by locals in Savar’s Tatuljhora area.

Locals told police that some people found the woman’s demeanour suspicious and beat her up around 10:30am, said AFM Sayeed, officer-in-charge of Savar Model Police Station.

Police later rescued her and sent her to Dhaka Medical College Hospital. They could not identify her immediately.

In Rasulpur village of Dhaka’s Keraniganj, an unidentified young man was killed and another critically injured in mob beating yesterday morning.

Witnesses said locals thought the two youths to be child kidnappers as they were talking to a group of children around 8:30am, reports UNB.

Locals then started beating them up. Police later rescued them and took one of them to Upazila Health Complex another to Sir Salimullah Medical College Hospital, said Sub-inspector Chunnu Mia of Keraniganj Model Police Station.

In Moulvibazar, an unidentified man aged about 50 was beaten dead by a mob around 10:00pm at a tea estate, said Arifur Rahman, OC of Kamalganj Police Station.

Police rescued him and sent him to a hospital where doctors declared him dead.

In Narayanganj, an unidentified man aged around 25, was killed by a mob in Mizmizi area of Siddhirganj in the morning.

Locals told police that he was beaten on suspicion of attempting to kidnap a 6-year-old girl around 8:00am.

Police later took him to Khanpur 300-bed Hospital where doctors pronounced him dead.

Three hours after the incident, a 20-year-old woman was beaten up by locals in the same upazila.  

Sharmin, wife of Salman Mia of Dhaka’s Keraniganj, has been admitted to Khanpur Hospital with critical injuries, said SI Shahidul Islam of Siddhirganj Police Station.

In Lalmonirhat, three policemen trying to save a mentally challenged woman from a mob were injured last night.

Police said the woman was sitting on the railway lines when some people told others that she was a kidnapper and started throwing stones at her.

When SI Zillur Rahman and two constables of Lalmonirhat Sadar Police Station went to rescue the woman, the mob attacked them too. Doctors and police said the woman appeared to be mentally challenged.

In Savar’s Mughrakanda area, a middle-aged man was injured in mob beating around noon when he was visiting a piece of land he owns in the area, said Sub-inspector Moloy Kumar of Savar Model Police Station.

In Chattogram’s Sitakunda, a 45-year-old mentally challenged woman was beaten by a mob.

Rehana Begum of Hathazari was attacked by a mob at Salimpur Bazar around 9:00am.

She was later taken to Sitakunda Police Station where officers recognised her as they had often seen her in the area.

Police said she would be handed over to her family.

In Mymensingh, another mentally challenged woman was severely beaten by a mob in Bhaluka upazila yesterday morning.

Maleka Akter, 35, a mother of two, was walking near her village when she was attacked, said OC Mohammad Mainuddin of Bhaluka Police Station.

She was rescued and taken to Bhaluka Upazila Health Complex. Doctors said she had severe injuries.

In Pabna, a 32-year-old man was beaten in Bonogram Dighipara area of Chatmohar.

Police rescued him when he was being beaten up.

One of the three victims of Friday afternoon’s mob beating in Thakurgaon is a 55-year-old mentally challenged woman. 

(Our correspondents in Narayanganj, Mymensingh, Pabna, Thakurgaon and a staff correspondent in Chattogram contributed to the report.)