On the night of March 4, a shocking incident unfolded in Dhaka’s upscale Gulshan neighbourhood, raising serious concerns about the state’s ability or willingness to protect its citizens. A crowd of nearly 100 individuals, including students, forcibly entered the residence of former lawmaker Tanveer Imam. Acting on unverified allegations of illegal weapons,and large sums of money being hidden inside, they ransacked the property while law enforcement stood by idly. This event further reinforced a dangerous precedent: The collapse of lawful governance in the face of mob rule.
This was not an isolated incident but a symptom of a larger, more troubling pattern. The raid was premeditated, openly announced on social media hours before it happened. Media outlets broadcast the mob action live, showing the crowd breaking into the residence, searching through belongings, and chanting slogans. Yet, despite all of this unfolding before the eyes of the nation, the police failed to intervene in time. When they did arrive long after the mob had conducted its so-called “search” and vandalized the property, they neither arrested anyone nor prevented further lawlessness.
What message does this send? When a large group can simply take the law into their own hands, storm a private residence, and ransack it without consequences, it indicates one of two things: Either law enforcement agencies are complicit, or they lack the courage to act. The police’s inaction in this case suggests not just a failure to protect but an implicit endorsement of mob rule. If the identity of the victim had been different, if the political tides had been reversed, would the response have been the same?
The government’s primary duty is to ensure the safety and security of all citizens, irrespective of their political affiliations. But this incident illustrates how, instead of upholding the rule of law, state institutions have allowed vigilante justice to prevail. If someone is suspected of a crime, whether a former lawmaker or an ordinary citizen, there are legal channels to investigate and prosecute.
The refusal of the police to make arrests, despite clear video evidence of those involved, raises questions about accountability. How could the perpetrators go unpunished when their faces have been broadcast on national media? If ordinary citizens can identify them, why can’t the authorities?
This failure is not just about one night’s incident. It speaks to a much deeper crisis in governance, where the state no longer serves as the guarantor of justice but as a passive observer of lawlessness. In any functioning democracy, the rule of law must be sacrosanct. The moment authorities pick and choose when to enforce it based on political calculations, the very fabric of society begins to unravel.
This is not merely about one house being raided. It is about the erosion of legal structures and the normalization of mob rule. If left unchecked, this pattern will only escalate. Tomorrow, it could be another individual, another family, another target of political vengeance. Today, it is Tanveer Imam’s residence; tomorrow, whose home will it be?
Bangladesh has witnessed such patterns before, where mobs have been used as instruments of political intimidation. History has shown that when mob rule is tolerated, it does not remain confined to one incident or one victim. It grows, emboldening others to take similar actions, knowing there will be no consequences. The failure of law enforcement to act is not merely a lapse in duty; it is an erosion of trust in state institutions.
Will the government restore public confidence in the rule of law, or will it continue to allow anarchy to fester? The people are watching, and history will be the judge.
Kollol Kibria is an Advocate, Human Rights Activist, and Political Analyst. He can be reached at kollolkibriaa@gmail.com.