119 killed by mobs in 7 months: HRSS

Mob beatings have surged with at least 119 people killed and 74 injured in 114 incidents since the interim government took office in August 2024, according to the Human Rights Support Society (HRSS).

In a press statement, signed by its Executive Director Ejazul Islam, the rights organisation said the highest number of mob beatings in the last decade occurred in 2024, with at least 201 reported cases. These incidents, counted from the beginning of the year, resulted in 179 deaths and 88 injuries.

Though mob beatings were already commonplace, there has been a rise in such incidents after the August 5 political changeover.

Previously, the key reasons included suspicions of theft, robbery, or mugging; however, in the aftermath of August 5, many incidents of mob violence were related to political score-settling.

The continuation of such violence even months after the interim government took office is worrying and exposes how the law and order situation remains vulnerable, according to rights activists.

HRSS statement added that in 2025, at least 30 cases were recorded in the first two months alone, leading to 19 deaths and 20 injuries.

Between 2015 and 2024, Bangladesh witnessed 1,009 mob beating incidents, resulting in 792 deaths and 765 injuries, according to HRSS data and various media reports.

However, the actual figures could be even higher due to underreporting, the organisation added.

Several recent incidents highlight the brutal nature of mob beatings.

On March 3, two individuals were beaten to death in Chattogram's Aulia union after being accused of robbery. On February 28, five people were killed by a mob in Madaripur's Dasar upazila. A day earlier, on February 27, two individuals were beaten and hung upside down.

On December 15, 2024, an unidentified man died in a mob beating in Rajshahi's Shitalakkhya area. On September 20, a former Chhatra League leader named Shamim Mollah was beaten to death by a mob at Jahangirnagar University, and the day before, a young man named Tofazzal suffered the same fate at Dhaka University.

Earlier that month, another Chhatra League leader and Rajshahi University student Abdul Wahab Al Masud was killed on suspicion of murder, theft and other crimes.

Such incidents have been reported across the country, including Bogura, Madaripur, Tangail, Chattogram, Khulna, Mymensingh, Narayanganj, Tongi, Rajshahi, and Barishal. While some have led to murder charges or police cases, proper investigations and punishments remain elusive.

As the perpetrators have not been brought to justice, a culture of impunity has developed over a long period of time, resulting in many of the criminals remaining at large, HRSS said.

The constitution guarantees every citizen the right to a fair trial and self-defense, regardless of guilt or innocence. Articles 27, 31, 33, and 35 ensure equal protection under the law, stating that no one can be considered guilty unless proven guilty in the eyes of the law.

Additionally, no punishment can be more or less than the prescribed penalty for the crime

Additionally, section 59 of the Criminal Procedure Code requires that a criminal be handed over to the police upon arrest. Various punishments, including life imprisonment, are specified in sections 187, 319, 323, 335, and 304 of the Penal Code. In cases of mob beatings leading to death, all participants are equally responsible under section 34 of the Penal Code.

International law also condemns mob beatings and killings as a human rights violation.

The HRSS called upon the police and other law enforcement agencies to play an effective role in preventing such incident. It also urged the interim government to play a responsible role in ensuring the safety of life and property of all citizens and to bring the culprits to justice.

The rights body urged all citizens to respect the rule of law and not to take the law into their own hands.