Incidents of lynching have marked an alarming rise as at least 69 people were killed in mob beating in various parts of the country over the first six months of the current calendar year.
Rights activists, sociologists and criminologists have expressed their grave concern over the growing trend of such worst form of crimes, saying that culture of impunity and various discriminations have impacted the psyche of people and driven them towards barbaric activities.
They also feared that the number of such brutal incidents would cross the 2014 figure in the first eight or nine months of the year if the trend further continues.
According to the statistics of Ain O Salish Kendra (ASK), 69 people were lynched during January-June period of the current year with Dhaka alone accounting for 39 incidents of public lynching followed by Chittagong 13, Khulna 09, Rajshahi 05, Barisal 02 and Sylhet 01.
In the first three months (January to March), the number was 31, according to the ASK data, which was compiled on the basis of media reports covering these brutal killings.
Talking to the FE, ASK Director of Investigations Nur Khan said in the absence of rule of law, coupled with degradation of social and moral values, people were getting more ferocious and taking law in their own hands leaving a serious impact on the society.
"Things are worsening day by day. So, the government should address the issue seriously and take immediate steps to establish the rule of law," he said.
People from all walks of life came under immense shock on Wednesday last when they witnessed lynching of seven people within a few hours in separate incidents in Chapainawabganj, Narsingdi and Gazipur districts.
The country was stunned earlier last month when a group of some five youth brutally beat 13-year-old boy Sheikh Samiul Alam Rajan to death branding him a thief as he went there to sell vegetables.
The killers themselves took video footage of the incident and uploaded it on the Internet. The video clip went viral on the social networking site Facebook and the video-sharing site YouTube which triggered protests across the country.
Chairman of Sociology Department at Dhaka University Professor Monirul Islam Khan said the form of violence the country was witnessing in the recent months had been more horrifying and brutal than that in the past.
He said many factors, especially frustration and discrimination, people face at various stages of their daily life, coupled with the culture of impunity, made a severe impact on the psyche of the people.
"Whenever they (the people) get a chance to be aggressive, they just act ferociously," he said.
He said although communication has become easier due to various social sites like Facebook and Twitter, it has been creating a psychological distance by making people further self-centred, having an adverse impact on their attitudes.
Seeking anonymity, a senior official of the Ministry of Law said the government is going to make a move for trying such brutal killing incidents under the speedy tribunal act to ensure punishment of such criminal acts in a faster way.
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69 lynched in last six months: ASK
FE Report | Published: August 21, 2015 00:00:00 | Updated: November 30, 2026 06:01:00
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