Is it police’s job to look away witnessing mob beatings

The incident on Saturday (August 9) in Taraganj Upazila of Rangpur, where Rupalal Das (40) and Pradip Das (35) were beaten to death on suspicion of stealing a van, has once again deeply shaken the nation's conscience and seriously called into question the current state of law and order. There is little new to say about mob beatings. For over a year now, it has emerged as a terrifying epidemic in Bangladesh. Although much has been said about it, no solution or sign of relief has yet appeared. On the contrary, the situation is becoming more nightmarish by the day. Now, something even more alarming has been added to this: the police are allegedly fleeing the scene after witnessing mob beatings.

This information has come from the accounts of Taraganj residents. They told the media that police were present at the scene when Rupalal and Pradip were being beaten to death in Taraganj, Rangpur. However, ‘fearing the mob’, they left without rescuing them. About an hour later, the two men were recovered in an unconscious state with the help of the army—one of them died before reaching hospital; the other passed away a few hours later while undergoing treatment. This information has been gathered by speaking to local public representatives and eyewitnesses. Local residents told the media, “What is the administration for? The police came but didn’t save those men? They saw the large crowd and left. If they had wanted, the police could have saved them.”

Speaking with locals reveals that within a three-kilometre radius of where Rupalal and Pradip were killed, there had been three incidents of theft and robbery and the throat-slitting murder of a child during a van hijacking in the eight days prior. As a result, people had become enraged at thieves and robbers. Since August 3, residents had been staying awake at night to guard the area. Rupalal and Pradip became the cruel victims of this situation.

We have also previously seen an incident in front of Gazipur police station in broad daylight, where journalist Anwar Hossain (35) was beaten and injured. Police witnessed the incident but left without helping the injured journalist. Currently, a terrifying and alarming situation prevails in the country. On one hand, people are taking justice into their own hands; on the other, law enforcement agencies are failing to step in during crises. Can we even imagine where this state of lawlessness is heading?

Though the government and police have claimed to take various measures to prevent the deterioration of law and order, in reality no improvement is visible. Rather, such incidents are increasing day by day. If the enforcement of law fails to control the situation, where will ordinary people seek refuge? Mob beatings don’t just kill innocent people; they also erode our belief in justice, safety, and the rule of law. If the police remain silent out of fear or intimidation, it is only natural that the wrongdoers will become emboldened.

The root cause of mob beatings is the lack of trust in the government and in law enforcement. Now, if police flee the scene out of fear of the mob, then such wrongdoing is further encouraged. It is not the police’s job to walk away from the scene of a mob beating and later return to collect the bodies. Local residents have expressed deep anger over the incident. They blocked the highway with the victims’ bodies in protest and demanded justice for those involved in the mob killing. But we believe that the police officers who fled the scene that day after witnessing the lynching must also be brought to justice. At the same time, the authorities must ensure that the police properly carry out their duties.