It is deeply troubling to see reports of activists of Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal assaulting two Dhaka University Central Students’ Union (Ducsu) leaders inside Shahbagh Police Station itself -- an act that unfolded in a space meant to guarantee safety and uphold the rule of law.
Equally concerning is the separate incident in Rajshahi, in which principals and teachers were injured in an attack allegedly carried out by BNP affiliates.
The pattern remains strikingly consistent: Groups emboldened enough to act as mediators, resorting to violence to assert control.
These are not isolated events of misconduct; they are indicative of a broader culture that has proven to be stubbornly resistant to change.
These incidents are deeply unsettling for a nation that expected a decisive departure from the politics of intimidation that has long plagued it.
If violence within a police station or against educators does not set off alarm bells, it is difficult to imagine what will.
What makes this particularly baffling is the timing: This is supposed to be a new political chapter for Bangladesh -- one that promised to move away from precisely this kind of lawlessness.
Yet, the persistence of such actions suggests that the underlying mindset has not shifted.
Political affiliates who feel empowered to assault individuals in public institutions or target educators with impunity signal a rapid erosion of both accountability and institutional authority.
This culture of attacks by self-appointed enforcers of power should have ended with the previous administration. The fact that it has not raises serious questions -- about whether meaningful change is being pursued.
This simply cannot go on. If these patterns continue to go unchecked, it will not only undermine confidence in the current government, but also cast doubt and fear over the country’s future.
Without a firm and visible commitment to rule of law, there is little reason to believe that this cycle will be broken.
