Mob violence continues to stoke insecurity 

Despite repeated assurances from top law enforcement and government officials to restore order, and their pleas for citizens to refrain from vigilantism, mob violence continues only to augment a sense of insecurity.

On Sunday, the Home Affairs Ministry announced new initiatives aimed at improving law and order nationwide. However, the same day witnessed a brutal act of mob violence in Bhola's Char Fasson. 

Md Shahjahan Mintiz, 40, was attacked by locals accusing him of theft, resulting in broken limbs and gouged-out eyes.

Shahjahan, son of Chidu from Char Arkalmi village, was allegedly dragged from his home, severely beaten, and mutilated. According to sources, villagers spotted him near his residence and chased him, eventually catching him at Jahangir Farazi's house. There, they "brutally beat" him, breaking his limbs and gouging out his eyes.

A village police officer rescued Shahjahan and took him to Char Fasson Upazila Health Complex. Dr Riaz Uddin, an emergency medical officer, confirmed, "He was brought to us with broken limbs and eyes gouged out. After providing initial treatment, we sent him to Dhaka for better treatment."

South Aicha Police Station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Ershadul Haque Bhuiyan said, "Legal measures will be taken against those responsible." However, as of now, no arrests have been made.

In a separate incident in Chattogram, early this morning, locals in the Jail Road area caught and beat a man after he stabbed another to death following an altercation. They subsequently handed him over to the police.

Kotwali Police Station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Abdul Karim confirmed that both the victim and the attacker were vagabonds who resided together at the Shah Amanat shrine. 

"Over a personal feud, they got into an altercation. At one point, one of them stabbed the other with a sharp knife. Locals witnessed the incident, caught the attacker, and beat him up," he said.

Police arrived at the scene, detained the attacker, and took the injured victim to the hospital, where doctors declared him dead. "The attacker was also admitted to the hospital as he sustained injuries from the mob beating," OC Karim added.

Authorities have yet to confirm the identities of both individuals. "We are trying to identify them through fingerprint analysis by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) team," said OC Karim. 

He also noted an initial rumour that the deceased was killed by muggers.

DMP arrests 1,631 crime suspects in 6 days

Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) has arrested 1,631 crime suspects, including muggers, robbers, drug dealers, and extortionists, in the past six days as part of intensified security measures initiated on 25 February. 

From Saturday to Sunday midnight, 160 individuals were arrested for various criminal activities. The arrestees include six robbers, 17 snatchers, 18 thieves, 20 drug dealers, and 19 individuals wanted in criminal cases. 

Seized items include weapons, mobile phones, motorcycles, and drugs such as yaba pills, reports BSS

As part of heightened security, DMP has increased patrol activities and check posts across the city. On Sunday, 667 DMP patrol teams operated in 50 police stations, and 71 check posts were set up at strategic locations. 

Additionally, specialised units, including CTTC, ATU, and RAB, have been deployed in high-crime areas to maintain public safety.

Protesters burn effigy of home adviser

Meanwhile, protesters burned an effigy of Home Affairs Adviser Lt Gen (retd) Md Jahangir Alam Chowdhury yesterday and demanded his removal, accusing him of justifying the recent attack on two girls in Lalmatia.

The protest took place in the Asadgate area of Lalmatia, where participants marched under the banner 'Bangladesh Against Rape and Oppression.' They later gathered at the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban area, where the effigy was burned.

The attack on the two girls occurred near the NHA Tower in Lalmatia on Saturday. One victim claimed the assault was due to their smoking. The incident sparked significant criticism on social media.

In response to questions on Sunday, the adviser said, "As you know, smoking in public is prohibited for both men and women. It's a crime, and everyone should adhere to it. I urge everyone not to smoke outside." 

He added, "From what I understand about the attack on the two girls, both were smoking cigarettes. Some locals, on their way to prayer, stopped them."