How mobs are being manufactured in Bangladesh

Around a month after the fall of Sheikh Hasina, there came a news that sent chills down the spines of citizens around the country. 

Tofazzal Hossain – a man suspected of being a thief and who had gone viral earlier for being caught and served lunch, while shirtless – was beaten to death at the Fazlul Haque Hall of Dhaka University.

His lynching was caught on videos and photos. 

Some arrests were made, including that of an ex-BCL leader. 

This was, however, just the start.

In recent times, incidents of mob violence have spiked across the country. 

At least 114 incidents of mob lynchings have been reported in the seven months since the interim government took over, according to findings released by the Human Rights Support Society (HRSS) recently.

At least 119 people were killed and 74 were injured in the incidents.

In 2021, the number of such deaths stood at 48, rising to 73 in 2023.  

The last such highs were recorded in 2015 and 2016 when 232 persons were killed in mob lynchings in those two years.

For posterity's sake, let's get something out of the way. Social media always comes alive when a group of people – be they the bogeyman known as Tauhidi Janata or even students – is described as a mob. 

A mob is a large and disorderly crowd of people, often bent on riotous or destructive action. 

Although many of the mobs formed stemmed from failures of law enforcement agencies to curb crimes, provoking people to take the law into their own hands, many others were carefully manufactured – with a slight touch of looking organic. 

The use of social media and the utter incompetence of the powers that be have also played a crucial role in the spike in mob violence. 

In many of the incidents, the victims were also blamed for playing a key role.

Take the case of the recently concluded Ekushey Boi Mela.

There, police were forced to shut down a stall following an altercation over the sale of books by exiled feminist writer Taslima Nasrin.

The mob – who styled themselves as Tauhidi Janata – took affront at the display of the books, but also claimed that one of the stall owners provoked them. 

Eventually, the stall was shut. 

Emboldened, the mob returned again when they heard of sanitary napkins being sold at the book fair. 

It was a situation that enraged them to no bounds. They came and had the stall shut once again, even compelling a top brand to issue an apology over the display. 

In both instances, the mob was already present around the scene. They gathered more people through coordinated Facebook posts, which repeated the same message: It was about protecting the respect of their religion and their "culture". 

The Facebook statuses brought more eyes to the situation, and the numbers grew. 

This use of social media was also seen yesterday when a sexual harasser was taken to the Shahbagh Police Station. 

Again, let's get the definition out of the way.

Sexual harassment includes unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, AND other verbal or physical harassment. 

This criterion was met in yesterday's incident, prompting police to make the arrest. 

Almost instantly, a section of people started going live on Facebook, calling everyone to come to the police station. 

Even an interview of the detainee was taken by members of this mob. 

This time, once again, the use of social media was made fully. Videos, photos and a smear campaign went on in full swing. 

The narrative shifted from the oppressor to blaming the oppressed. 

But social media doesn't always have to be the tool. 

Take the recent incident in Lalmatia, where two women were beaten by an angry mob over them smoking publicly. 

When rebuked by an elderly man, the two college-age girls defended their rights, leading to an altercation. 

The elderly man – a resident – informed his friends in the locality, who all gathered and swooped on the two girls. 

This time, there was no need for social media. But the smear campaign against these two, and women in general, continued for weeks. 

Even the Home Affairs Adviser Lt Gen (retd) Md Jahangir Alam Chowdhury diverted attention from the mob violence and fixated on the right to smoke in public. 

Another move which further emboldened the mob.  

Then, finally, we come to the spike in "mob justice". 

A man in Bhola's Char Fasson Upazila was brutally assaulted by a group of angry locals who accused him of theft, breaking his limbs and gouging out both his eyes.

The victim, Shahjahan, was chased when he was spotted near his home. 

He was apprehended and beaten. 

This time, the mob had gathered in a mission to hunt down criminals.

Local police said action would be taken against the perpetrators. 

This line has been parroted by the institutions concerned on numerous occasions, but little else has been done. 

Even in the capital, two Iranians were beaten up on suspicion of being muggers. 

Two arrests were made over the incident. 

According to a Prothom Alo report, quoting Bhatara Police Station officer-in-charge, the 'mob was deliberately created'. 

The crowd gathered as men began screaming "mugger", "stop them", etc. 

That was all it took for them to swarm the two foreign nationals. No questions were asked, and no protestations were heeded. 

To see how far citizens have begun taking the law into their own hands, look no further than the Gulshan incident which took place on Tuesday. 

The caretaker of a building convinced a mob of people that there was Tk200-300 crore in one apartment. 

He claimed the apartment belonged to the son of Sheikh Hasina's former political adviser HT Imam, former Sirajganj-4 lawmaker Tanveer Imam.

The mob, which chanted slogans against AL, went along. This was clearly not a move to mete out justice, but rather a play to make some loot. 

Nothing was found in the apartment. Three people were arrested. 

Police arrived at the scene, but they did take their time to do so. 

Why the spike?

Last year, African nations, specifically Nigeria, South Africa, Uganda, also Kenya and Ghana, saw an uptick in street justice. 

Here, too, the reasons for mob violence mirrored those in Bangladesh – religion and crimes. 

According to an Amnesty International report published in October 2024, in the south of Nigeria, mob violence mostly targeted people accused of theft, of taking part in rituals or practicing witchcraft. 

In northern Nigeria, it was mostly used against those accused of blasphemy and often endorsed by religious leaders.

Oftentimes, the victims of the violence are from minority communities, adding a communal layer. 

Worryingly, once it started, incidents of mob violence were only seen to grow. 

In many African nations, policing failures were identified as being key behind the mob violence. 

That law enforcement has failed in Bangladesh is beyond doubt. 

This isn't exclusively restricted to mob violence – almost every form of crime has seen a spike. 

Won't tolerate, they say, but do so anyway

Speaking at a press conference today, Home Affairs Adviser Lt Gen (retd) Md Jahangir Alam said they were taking swift action against mob violence. 

"I won't deny that such incidents are happening. But wherever they occur, we are bringing those responsible under the law immediately," he said.

He then passed the buck to the parents and relatives of children and the media, saying they had a huge role to play in preventing mob violence. 

Commenting on the Lalmatia incident yesterday, Adviser Syeda Rizwana Hasan also said, "There is no space for mob justice or moral policing in this country. The government maintains a firm stance against it."

Both the statements only seem like pretty words which ring hollow. 

Speaking to The Business Standard earlier, Barrister Jyotirmoy Barua, a senior lawyer of the Supreme Court, said mob violence has taken the form of an epidemic today due to the continuous tolerance and encouragement of such actions from the beginning.

"I have been speaking out against mob violence from the very beginning. When the mob attacked Supreme Court lawyers, I spoke up then as well. The continuous tolerance of one incident after another has resulted in this situation today," he said.

He squarely laid blame on the Ministry of Home Affairs.

"Mob violence, in any form, is a serious criminal offence. Whether it's directed at someone suspected of being a member of the Shibir, an Awami League member, or thieves and robbers, it remains a crime," said Barrister Barua.

While the manufacture of the mob is happening in different ways, oftentimes, it is very visible, especially on social media.

So when does the buck stop? Perhaps, when the government can finally admit that things aren't as they claim it is.