Mob justice is just murder
Even if the vilest allegations were true, lynching them could not have been the answer. Since the police reappeared on the scene on August 11 (they had deserted their posts following the fall of the Awami League regime on August 5 and only resumed duties after repeated reassurances of peace and cooperation), 21 people were lynched in 38 days with just eight people arrested. That the law enforcement agencies have done precious little is obvious. But more worryingly, it is partially because of their lack of urgency and initiative that the situation in the hills has spiralled out of control. Many of the indigenous community have had to flee their homes and take to the forests to save their lives.
As of Saturday morning, four people have died and several more have been admitted to hospitals with gunshot wounds. Apparently, brewing tension between the indigenous community and the settlers came to a head after the lynching of a man suspected of stealing a motor bike. According to the police, this man, a settler, was wanted in 14 cases of theft.
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Disturbing as the lynchings were, two of these from Wednesday evening and early Thursday were shocking and became a serious point of concern since both happened on university campuses and were perpetrated by students—that most enlightened and progressive section of people.
A former Chhatra League activist who had been a leader a few years ago and allegedly attacked student protesters on July 15 on Jahangirnagar University campus was rescued by the university's security guards and taken to their office when a group of students swooped on him on Wednesday evening. But angry students raided the security offices and beat him up for a second round in the presence of a proctor and the security personnel. Students speaking to news outlets said the man was beaten up several times. There were also allegations of land grabbing and extortion against this former history graduate. He had to be rescued by the police and the vice chancellor. Shamim Ahmed, the former BCL leader died in hospital later in the evening.
The Dhaka University incident is even more barbaric. Known to be a vagrant, Tofazzal was a young man supposedly from Barguna, with no known next of kin and was reported not to be in complete control of his mental faculties. But he was not a stranger on campus, as a number of Facebook posts indicate. "A little crazy, but harmless" is the general impression of this man who was alleged of theft and apprehended at a residential hall. Students then proceeded to beat him. They then let this man have supper. His photo is floating around Facebook with this man washing his hands sitting shirtless in the canteen. His eyes don't indicate the fear that a man might have who is being beaten by craven monsters. His eyes don't have any hatred either. He looks apathetic, as only a madman can. A caption reads, "The Last Supper."
He was then taken away and beaten some more till his condition deteriorated, which is presumably when he was handed over to the proctor's office. The critically injured Tofazzal was then taken to the Shahbag Police Station around 11:00 pm and finally brought to Dhaka Medical College Hospital, where the doctors pronounced him dead.
The incident is eerily reminiscent of a BUET incident five years ago when BCL cadres kept a student locked up in a room while they went off to watch a football match only to return and resume their beating and eventually killing Abrar, a fellow student.
Sadly, when one lynching can be said to be more barbaric than another, it can only indicate the level of depravity of some of our university students. The same students who were the vanguards of a popular uprising against the absolute reign of a dictatorial government. A lynch mob is no better than a murderous regime—not to Tofazzal, nor Shamim.
It was heartening to see that both campuses react with protests against these incidents. It would behove the university authorities to proactively come forward with the utmost cooperation for the police. As for the law enforcement agencies, they had better act swiftly to set an example of these two murders, and it is only out of extreme indulgence that one does not call them "executions."
It would have been expected that during his meeting with the top police officers on Thursday, the home adviser would have issued strict instructions to the law enforcers and a stern warning for the murderers. Instead, he stopped short with merely expressing his dismay over the two lynchings and urged people not to take up law in their own hands. The police headquarters, however, did put out a media release warning of tough action. However, since the interim government has taken over, there has been much motivational speech but little action to show actual intent. One is wont to infer that the pathetic lack of initiative and enthusiasm of the law enforcers stems from the very top that has failed to provide them with decisive direction.
Tanim Ahmed is a journalist at The Daily Star.
Views expressed in this article are the author's own.
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