Mob Violence Must Not Become the 'New Normal'

The relentless spread of mob violence across Dhaka points to a frightening reality, where public safety is fracturing, and the authorities are struggling to hold the line. Recent attacks have struck a wide range of targets - from the Radda MCH FP Health Centre in Mirpur, a housing project and a content creator’s studio in ECB Chattar, to a private residence in Adabor and a JASAD political office. These are not random acts of lawlessness, but a coordinated shift towards extrajudicial power, where groups routinely use force to intimidate others, to seize property and settle disputes outside the legal system. With human rights organisations recording upwards of 150 deaths and hundreds of injuries in the first eight months of the year alone, mob violence has escalated into an urgent crisis for the rule of law.

What is more alarming is the unchecked confidence behind these attacks. At the Radda centre, around 200 masked individuals held security guards hostage and looted medical supplies, while armed groups in other locations attempted property takeovers or stormed offices to assault occupants. The ease with which hundreds can mobilise and act before police intervene raises grave concerns about law enforcement, as well as allegations that influential individuals may be backing these raids. Those who organise, finance, or enable such violence must be thoroughly investigated and held accountable, regardless of who they are. 

The real danger is what happens when this behaviour starts to feel normal. If people see that a crowd can use force and get its way, they may stop believing that legal procedures are worth following. A property dispute can become an attempted occupation, a political disagreement can turn into an assault, and an online rumour can bring a crowd into the streets within minutes. Each incident chips away at public confidence in the police and courts. And once that confidence is lost, restoring order becomes far more difficult.

This is where the government response falls short. It cannot keep waiting for violence to occur before taking action. Police must investigate major incidents properly and identify not only those caught at the scene, but also the organisers, financiers, and facilitators behind them. Arrests must lead to timely and impartial prosecution, while allegations of police negligence should be examined without delay. Law enforcement agencies also need better intelligence and faster response systems to detect organised mobilisation before it turns violent, alongside swift action to counter false information that threatens to inflame tensions.

We expect the government to treat this as a serious test of its responsibility to protect citizens. No crowd should decide who deserves punishment, who must surrender property, or whose voice should be silenced. Those decisions belong strictly to lawful institutions. If authorities continue acting only after damage is done, mob power will grow at the expense of public trust. The law must always remain stronger than the crowd.