Tajul cautions against mislabelling July uprising as ‘mob’

International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) Chief Prosecutor Md Tajul Islam on Sunday urged caution in use of the term “mob,” warning that its indiscriminate application risks misrepresenting the July Uprising and undermining its significance.

Speaking at a policy dialogue titled “Judicial Independence and the Rule of Law” at CIRDAP auditorium in Dhaka, organised by Centre for Governance Studies (CGS), Tajul highlighted the distinction between ordinary street crimes and the collective movement that led to the fall of Ganabhaban.

“Incidents such as mugging or attacks on religious minorities by individuals on the streets cannot be equated with the movement that toppled Ganabhaban. These two cannot be judged in the same way,” he said, stressing the need for extreme caution before labelling any popular action as a “mob.”

Tajul also warned that repeated misuse of the term by certain quarters could be an attempt to undermine or cast doubt on the achievements of the revolution. 

He stressed that careless terminology risks distorting public understanding and unfairly questioning the participants of the uprising.

SH