Friday, Sep 27, 2002
Lynchings: concern in Bangladesh
By Haroon Habib
DHAKA Sept. 26. An alarming trend in Bangladesh's deteriorating law and order has been the lynching of alleged extortionists and petty criminals by the public. Such incidents have claimed 92 lives this year, mostly in Dhaka. Mobs beat up alleged criminals, killing most of them on the spot.
The Bangladesh Human Rights Bureau, which conducted a study on the issue, said except in one or two cases, police could not arrest those who took law into their hands.
The non-governmental organisation said victims in 92 cases of mass fury out of 169 incidents reported from around the country during the past 11 months, had died on the spot or in hospitals. Ironically, the bodies of most of the dead remained unclaimed by anyone, the study said. It revealed that the cases of mass violence on individuals have increased significantly side by side with the killing of people by extortionists and muggers.
Sociologists said the mob tendency to kill alleged criminals has increased mainly due to lack of public trust in the police. They said the majority of the people do not believe that extortionists, who demand illegal payments from traders and shoot those who dare oppose them, would be punished if they are handed over to the police. ``The people are gradually losing faith in the police and the rule of law'', said the study.
However, the Inspector General of Police, Mudabbir Hossain Chowdhury, refused to accept that lynchings had increased. "Courts, under the Speedy Trial Act, have already punished about 609 criminals, toll collectors and terrorists'', he said.
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