Should mob justice rule society?

When one speaks of justice in a modern polity, what naturally comes to mind are courtrooms, legal procedures, constitutional safeguards, and verdicts delivered by learned judges after due deliberation. Even though inordinate delays in legal procedures, legal loopholes, and, at times, political influence that allows offenders to evade punishment often undermine judicial system in Bangladesh, people still want to believe in the rule of law. Lately, however, that faith appears to be fraying in some pockets of society.

In a rural area in Nabinagar Upazila of Brahmanbaria, a group of locally influential men thought that the problem of drug abuse in the locality had crossed all limits. They decided to take action against local drug dealers, but in doing so, they assumed the role of a judge, jury and executioner. On June 4, a local anti-drug committee organised a public gathering in the Narui Bazar area to hold arbitration against drug dealers.

An alleged drug dealer named Habi Mia, who is accused in two drug related cases, was brought before the gathering. He was then tied up and beaten to a pulp in full view of a gathering of more than a hundred people, including his mother and wife. Video footage of the gory, medieval-style punishment has since gone viral on social media.

Several other similar incidents of vigilante justice against alleged drug dealers and drug addicts have also been reported in Brahmanbaria and Faridpur. In one such case, the home of an alleged drug dealer was even ransacked by an angry mob. Thus, one vigilante justice followed by another worsened law and order situation in those areas.

These incidents have been portrayed by some as an outburst of public anger against the prevalence of drugs and the apparent failure of the law enforcers to curb the menace. Yet, it has also sparked widespread controversy over people taking the law into their own hands. Many have raised question, if justice could be dispensed in this manner, then what is use of laws, courts, and the due process of law that underpins a civilised society?

Over the years, extrajudicial killings by law enforcers and mob violence have drawn widespread condemnation from civil society and rights groups. Now, the growing incidence of vigilante justice does not augur well for a country that seeks to uphold the rule of law. To be frank, the public cannot be blamed for going berserk out of desperation, since the law itself failed to protect them. If the people had confidence in the police, such ugly scenes in Brahmanbaria and other places would not be created.

Drug addiction has emerged as one of the fastest growing social problems in Bangladesh, if not the number one problem already. It is equally widespread in the urban areas as well as the villages as millions of young men and women are becoming addicted to this deadly habit. Drugs not only destroy the life of an addict, but also the lives of his or her family members, friends and acquaintances. The multiplier effect of drug addiction is such that one individual can wreak havoc on an entire locality. Thus, every family in the country is worried about protecting their children from the clutches of drug dealers as well as the company of drug users.

But as of now, Bangladesh has failed to devise an effective strategy to face this national crisis. There are NGOs working towards raising awareness and rehabilitation centers to treat the drug addicts. But these initiatives prove futile when the supply of drugs remains abundant. Every day the media reports about large hauls of Yaba or Phensedyl by law-enforcement agencies. It is believed that what is intercepted is only the tip of the iceberg. The country is getting flooded with drugs, which is an indication of their growing demand amongst the population.

The drug trade has a powerful economic base involving politically influential individuals, criminal syndicates, and a section of corrupt officials. Media reports have frequently highlighted how anti-drug drives often focus on peddlers while the kingpins remain as invisible as ever. Such sham has always characterised the country's anti-drug campaign and therefore far from being contained the drug menace has assumed monstrous proportions. The ineffectiveness of the police, if not their active collusion, only intensifies public despair, driving them to shun the path of normal justice delivery system. The government must therefore recalibrate its anti-drug operations, focusing not merely on petty offenders but also on the networks that sustain the narcotics trade.

The growing incidence of vigilantism reflects a loss of public confidence in the ability of law enforcers to protect citizens and ensure justice. However, even if the sense of helplessness generated by a dysfunctional law enforcement regime is understandable, there can be no justification for mob justice. If vigilante justice and lynching become commonplace, then they could pave the way for mob rule. Vigilantism is unacceptable in a civilised society. It brutalises communities, undermines the rule of law, and is all too prone to widening social injustice. Therefore, just as the state has a responsibility to eradicate social ills and ensure the safety and security of the public, it also has an obligation to protect the legal rights of the accused and ensure that justice is administered through due process of law.

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