HC issues directives on preventing mob beating, rumour

The High Court today issued five directives in order to prevent mob beatings and the spreading of rumours, saying that the home ministry will continue building awareness against these and take actions against perpetrators.

It also asked the district education officer of Dhaka to conduct an inquiry into the mob beating incident in Uttar Badda Government Primary School to find if there was any negligence on the part of the head teacher.

The HC bench of Justice M Enayetur Rahim and Justice Md Mostafizur Rahman came up with the five directives after hearing a writ petition filed by Supreme Court lawyer Ishrat Hasan seeking necessary orders.

Delivering the verdict, the HC asked the circle officers (assistant superintendent of police) to hold a meeting with the officers-in-charge of the police stations concerned every six months about the latest trend of mob beatings.

The HC also directed the home ministry to take necessary steps to stop circulation of any kind of audio clips, videos and messages on social media that can instigate people and lead to incidents of mob beatings.

It asked the officers-in-charge must record the first information report (FIR) of a case related to mob beating as soon as it happens and to inform the superintendent of police.

On July 20 last year, Taslima Begum Renu, a 40-year-old single mother of two, was beaten to death when she went to the Badda school to ask about the admission process, according to police.

Her nephew later filed a case against 400 or 500 unknown people with Badda Police Station. Locals said that Taslima was mistaken for a child abductor.

Angry mobs had also beaten to death four more people on suspicion of being child abductors on the same day.