Chief Prosecutor of the International Crimes Tribunal Tajul Islam on Sunday cautioned against the use of the word “mob,” saying there is a mindset behind using the term to question the revolution and urging restraint in its use.
He made the remarks at a policy dialogue titled “Independence of the Judiciary and the Rule of Law” at the CIRDAP auditorium in the capital. The event was organised by the Centre for Governance Studies (CGS).
Tajul Islam’s comments drew sharp criticism from several speakers at the dialogue. Former Communist Party of Bangladesh (CPB) general secretary Ruhin Hossain Prince and Bangladesh Socialist Party (BSD) general secretary Bazlur Rashid Firoz described the remarks as a “threat.”
Politicians, lawyers, human rights activists and civil society representatives took part in the discussion, where concerns over the role of mobs were raised alongside issues of judicial independence.
In his opening remarks, CGS Executive Director Parvez Karim Abbasi said the country was witnessing “mobocracy” rather than the rule of law, pointing to what he described as trials on social media. He warned that symbolic measures would not ensure the rule of law if groups took the law into their own hands and punishment of offenders was delayed.
Speaking on the rule of law, Jatiya Party Secretary General Shamim Haider Patwary said injustice, whether before or after a revolution, would ultimately backfire. He warned that mobs, once tolerated, could undermine institutions such as the government and the Election Commission, and even threaten the country itself.
Responding to the remarks, Tajul Islam said the movement to topple Ganabhaban could not be equated with acts such as street robberies or attacks on religious minorities by individuals from particular groups. He stressed the need for caution in using the term “mob” and said repeated use of the word to question the achievements of the movement against Ganabhaban should be avoided.
Former CPB general secretary Ruhin Hossain Prince countered that advocating the rule of law while encouraging mobs was contradictory and untenable in Bangladesh. BNP leader Nilufar Chowdhury also criticised Tajul Islam’s comments.
The dialogue was moderated by CGS President Zillur Rahman, who noted that a senior government figure had previously dismissed the existence of mobs by describing them as “pressure groups.” He expressed concern that renewed justification of mob actions could lead to further incidents in the near future.
