Md. Nayon Sarder  |
| Md. Nayon Sarder |
“ They beat him, fed him, then killed him” this is not
an ordinary headline of a news-paper
rather it is a cruel as well as unacceptable & horrific incident of mob killing of a man named Tofazzol. Tofazzol
was brutally killed by a mob inside residential area of Dhaka university. How
can a country uphold justice where it’ s future leaders are killing someone
like this manner! Yes, we are talking about mob justice (?). According
to Justices Centre of Uganda “Mob justice is a form of extra judicial
punishment or retribution in which a person suspected of a crime or wrongdoing
is typically humiliated, beaten, sometimes undressed and in many cases these
are usually done by a crowd.” There are different forms of mob justice such as
lynching, public beating and extra judicial killing.
The institutions of Bangladesh are weak. The legal system of
Bangladesh is very slow and often alleged of corruption. Millions of pending
cases, the police, one of the main parts of the legal system, are not properly
accountable, trust deficit among people in criminal judiciary system. That
raises distrust on judiciary. As a result, the judiciary is not functioning
properly.
Poverty, lack of education, ignorance of values,
social unrest and insufficient access to essential services lead to feelings of frustration and disillusionment, which drive mob
justice. Individuals in lower socio-economic levels frequently have little reliance in
the sluggish and hard-to-reach legal systems. Furthermore,
in the absence of collective efforts by political leaders and clergymen, mobs
are often manipulated by social media. The lack of legal knowledge,
consciousness, and factual thinking frequently leads them to engage in mob
justice.
The impact of mob justice is gruesome. Firstly, that is
weakening the rule of law & role of law enforcement agencies. In addition, division and hatred among people
on religious & ethnic basis culminating to national disintegration &
violence. Furthermore, this is tarnishing the image of Bangladesh as a communal
& chaotic country in world stage which is seriously concerning.
There are some laws regarding mob justice. Mob justice is a
clear violation of human dignity & Universal Declaration of Human Rights. ‘Article
27’ of the constitution of Bangladesh refers that ‘all citizen of Bangladesh
equal before the law & entitled to equal protection of law. Also, according
to ‘article 31’ every citizen has the equal right to enjoy protection of law.
In addition, ‘article 32’ says, no person shall be deprived of life or personal
liberty save in accordance with law. ‘Article 35(5)’ says no person shall be
subjected to torture or to cruel, inhuman, or degrading punishment or
treatment. Furthermore, though the Penal Code of Bangladesh has no particular
section about mob justice, mob justice could be dealt with under section 300
& 302, pertaining to murder.
Then what is the way out of mob justice? Firstly, a rigorous
and speedy way for dispensation of justice. Secondly, raising legal awareness
about justice among people. Thirdly, bona fide will of politician as well as
clergymen to reduce this heinous crime. Some law may be taught from early stage
of education, the mass media should come forward to make public awareness.
Mob violence is a dangerous phenomenon that erodes the very
foundation of a civilized society. To curb this menace stronger law
enforcement, transparency in legal system, fair trials & swift justice,
harsh penalties should be immediately established. And only then Bangladesh can
hope to overcome this scourge and uphold the principle of justice and human
dignity for all of its citizen. And we can hope for our dreamt Bangladesh free
from all kinds of injustice.