Some 71.5% of youth in Bangladesh have said mob violence is steadily increasing across the country and significantly affecting the daily lives of young people, according to a recent survey conducted by the South Asian Network on Economic Modeling (Sanem).
The survey, titled “Youth in Transition: Navigating Jobs, Education and Changing Political Scenario Post-July Movement" and led by Dr Selim Raihan, executive director of Sanem, collected responses from 2,000 individuals aged between 15 and 35 years. It also includes 17 case studies.
When asked specifically about mob violence, 15.1% of respondents said they are neutral, while 13.4% said this issue has little to no impact on their daily lives.
The findings also reveal that 80.2% of participating youth expressed concern over recent crimes, such as arson, robbery and theft.
In contrast, 12.1% remained neutral and 7.7% reported no concern over such issues.
Opinions on violence against religious and ethnic minorities were notably divided: 34.5% of respondents believed such incidents affect their lives, 25.7% were neutral and 39.9% disagreed.
Regarding societal backlash against feminism and liberal ideologies, 44.2% of youth identified it as a cause for concern, while 35.2% remained neutral.
Issues related to delays or changes in public examination schedules worried 37.4% of respondents; however, 45.5% reported a neutral stance on this matter.
Concerns about political violence and clashes in educational institutions were shared by 46.7% of youth.
Additionally, 56.2% felt that politically motivated arrests and legal actions are affecting their everyday lives.
On gender-based violence, 53.6% said it impacts their lives, while 28.2% were neutral and 18.3% disagreed.