Political activists go awry while police take a deep slumber

Whenever we hear the name 'Biswajit', it rings a bell in our minds. On the fateful day of 9 December back in 2012, a group of activists of Jagannath University's Chhatra League branch chased and hacked an ordinary tailor named Biswajit Das to death in an unprecedented display of brutality. 

The way they murdered Biswajit jolted the whole country out of inertia, sending a chill down everyone's spine. It was a textbook example of political ruthlessness and a barbaric mindset. 

Many years down the line, the recent murder of Chand Mia alias Sohag has evoked the memories of sheer brutality that the Awami League and its activists, including members of their 'brotherly organisation' (BCL), used to unleash on the countrymen. These two murders are comparable owing to the fact that in both cases, the perpetrators, bereft of any humanity, acted with absolute apathy. 

However, while the Awami League denied any involvement of its activists or members of the student wing in Biswajit's murder, BNP leaders have acted against the offenders immediately. 

The Bangladesh Jatiotabadi Jubo Dal has expelled two of its leaders for their alleged involvement in the brutal killing. Moreover, the organisation has also lambasted the police for their intentional neglect.

The victim, a local trader, was beaten and hacked to death inside the Sir Salimullah Medical College Mitford Hospital compound shortly before sundown on 9 July. The criminals, as clearly evident in the CCTV footage that went viral on social media, bashed the body of the man with a rock, stomping body with perverse pleasure. 

Mitford murder is not an isolated incident. Since August last year, incidents of violence are happening, including mob justice and attacks on women. There is no denying that it is the responsibility of the government to prevent these incidents of violence. I think the government has been selective when it comes to containing violence, as they seem to have allowed some forms of violence while they also acted in some other cases.

Altaf Parvez, Researcher and political analysi

This incident caused a great furore among people belonging to all echelons of society, raising pertinent concerns about the ongoing political violence and other forms of violent activities. 

What is shocking is the fact that both the victim and several of the accused were reportedly involved in the politics of local Jubo Dal (BNP's youth wing), insinuating that the murder was a case of infighting and an outcome of turf war. According to media reports, the violence ensued following a turf war over control of scrap copper wire and metal business.

On a surface level, this incident might seem like just another incident of cruel murder, but in reality, this is a bellwether of broader political realities. It seems like our polity is still trapped in the same culture defined by violence and virulent attacks. 

After around 16 years of despotic rule, defined by systemic subjugation, repression and violent political culture, the student-led uprising finally led to the ouster of the fascist regime. Unfortunately, just one year into the uprising, we are witnessing the same elements of toxic political culture – infighting, turf war, political murders and whatnot. 

To our utter dismay, political violence continues unabated despite the fact that the masses dreamt of a new Bangladesh after the July Uprising. According to information provided by rights group Ain O Salish Kendra, political violence has claimed around 121 lives while about 4,892 people got injured in 444 incidents that took place between August 2024 and May 2025.  

In addition to this kind of violence, crimes including murder, robbery, smuggling, drug dealing, and theft are also on the rise, portraying a harrowing situation of law and order. In addition to this, incidents of mob violence have intensified across the country, giving a free rein to those who sneak around to swoop down on anyone, anytime. 

In the last 11 months, we have witnessed a disturbing trend of taking law into their own hands as mobs have launched attacks on individuals, pillaged and plundered homes, desecrated heritage sites, shrines, akhras, and even intervened in women's football matches in the rural backwater. ASK data suggests that at least 179 people were killed in mob violence between August 2024 and June 23 this year. 

Analysing rising incidents of crimes, including political and mob violence, it can be said without a shadow of a doubt that the interim government has utterly failed to restore law and order after 5 August. In fact, overall stability has slipped noticeably in the last 11 months thanks to a disappointingly lacklustre performance by the government and law enforcement agencies. 

With every passing day, the country is drifting into shambolic eccentricity as the government lacks the vitality necessary to control the yahoos who are going off the rails almost routinely and resorting to violence to enforce a reign of terror. The government cannot simply abnegate its responsibilities by only talking the talk, instead of walking the walk.  

Speaking to The Business Standard, Altaf Parvez, a researcher of South and Southeast Asian history and politics, opined, "Mitford murder is not an isolated incident. Since August last year, incidents of violence have been happening, including mob justice, attacks on women and shrines. There is no denying that it is the responsibility of the government to prevent these incidents of violence. I think the government has been selective when it comes to containing violence, as they seem to have allowed some forms of violence while they also acted in some other cases." 

What the top brass of the government is saying is simply rhetoric, as many claim that a quarter of the government has been inspiring mob justice and violence through their inaction and inertia. 

"The gruesome murder of the trader is deeply tragic. In a civilised society, such brutality is simply unacceptable," Home Affairs Adviser Lt Gen (retd) Jahangir Alam Chowdhury told the reporters regarding the Mitford murder incident. Although the home boss is supposed to react more sternly after such an occurrence, he responded with his usual indifference. 

Subsequently, despite a clear deterioration of the law and order situation, the law enforcement agencies are acting leniently, bringing their inability to fire on all cylinders to the fore. 

"In many cases, intellectuals patronised by the government have defended vandalism by terming the 'mob' as a 'pressure group'. As a result, violence somewhere in the country has instigated others to commit similar kinds of crimes, creating a ripple effect in the society", Parvez added. 

Parvez went on to say, "After a sudden political changeover, untoward incidents happen in a country. As far as activating the police force is concerned, it is solely the responsibility of the government to do so; no political party can do it. For political violence, we can blame the political parties, but at the end of the day, the advisers who are part of the government will have to act and enforce law and order." 

However, it is also true that major political parties, including the BNP, could not really grasp the spirit of the July Uprising. This is why they are still engaging in confrontational activities that are detrimental to the nation and the countrymen, portraying a blatant unwillingness to bring about meaningful changes in the country's political culture. 

It is very unfortunate that BNP men are getting involved in different unethical activities, as their leaders and activists have been accused of taking over various businesses and collecting extortion money. After the ouster of the fascist regime, only the face of the people collecting extortion has changed, but the practice is still there.

Especially, after 16 years of deprivation and suppression, BNP supporters and activists have gone awry, to the extent that they are not even listening to the party's acting chairman. This largely reflects the inability of major political parties to strike a chord with the aspirations of the people belonging to all rungs of the social ladder.    

"Supporters and activists of all major political parties, including the BNP have failed to realise why the masses took part in the uprising, which is why the uprising could not instil any sense of moral obligation in them. What the supporters of different political parties are doing on social media and in the public domain is totally unacceptable. They are behaving very errantly", Parvez concluded. 

Asked whether political parties have failed to take the social realities that led to the July Uprising into account, Sharmind Neelormi, a social activist and professor of Jahangirnagar University, said, "We are not practising citizen-centric politics for many years in our country. Political parties are definitely disconnected from the public."   

In the new Bangladesh, it is not expected that the culture of playing pass-the-parcel will go on; at least, the masses will not tolerate this anymore. Neither the government nor the political parties can duck out of their responsibilities and blame each other for the tumultuous events that are creating anarchy and social unrest. 

It's time political parties as well as the government work in tandem to materialise the dream of a new Bangladesh.