In any democratic society, justice is a basic right. People expect that if someone is wronged, there will be legal protection. If someone is harmed, the law will respond.
But in Bangladesh, that expectation is slowly fading and a dangerous trend is growing, where angry crowds take the law into their own hands, and people are punished without trial. This is mobocracy, and it is threatening our entire justice system.
Sadly, we are seeing this more often in Bangladesh. When someone is accused of something serious, public anger often takes over before the truth emerges. Instead of police and courts handling the situation, the public reacts with violence, and often, this ends in tragedy.
Paying the price without proof
The recent case of Raees Uddin, an imam who served at a mosque in Pubail, Gazipur, highlights how dangerous this growing trend can be. He was accused of a crime -- allegedly involving paedophilia. But before the case could be investigated properly, he was attacked by a mob and later taken into police custody. He reportedly did not receive the medical care he needed and died while in custody.
This is a serious failure of the legal system. Whether the original allegation was true or false, everyone deserves a fair investigation and medical care, especially while in police custody. Dying in such a situation is not just a personal loss; it is a public concern. It shows that our system is not working the way it should.
According to many who knew Raees, the attack was driven by ideological rivalry. Raees was devoted to Sufi principles, which may have drawn hostility from groups opposed to Sufism. Widespread protests have already taken place across the country by conscious citizens in response to this brutal killing.
Police inaction
Unfortunately, no case has been accepted at the police station since the murder. His family has tried, but the police have refused to file a case. Even more disturbing is that not a single person involved in the mob attack has been arrested, even though clear video recordings show who took part.
The role of the police is also deeply troubling. They quickly acted when a case was filed against Raees. But now that he is dead, they are unwilling to accept a case for him. This kind of selective action damages public trust in law enforcement. Filing a case is a basic right. Police stations are not allowed to block that right, no matter who the case is about.
Many families have faced the same struggle -- sitting outside police stations for hours or days, only to be refused. Sometimes a case is only accepted after large public protests. This should not be necessary. People should not have to gather in crowds or start a movement just to file a legal complaint.
What kind of country are we becoming? One where mobs replace courts? Where the police choose whose voices to hear? Where the media skip facts to chase headlines?
Media influence
Another condemnable part of this situation was the role of some media outlets. Instead of waiting for the facts or presenting the issue carefully, they quickly published headlines and stories that treated the accusation as if it were already proven.
When the media presents someone as guilty without evidence or a court judgement, it creates a strong bias in the public mind. This is called a media trial -- when the media acts like the judge and the jury. It can damage reputations and even put lives at risk.
In Raees’s case, the stories were written in a way that made people uncomfortable to question what was happening. But journalism should inform people with facts, not lead them to judgements before the truth is known. When media coverage creates pressure instead of clarity, it can cause more harm than good.
Reclaiming the right to a fair trial
So what kind of country are we becoming? One where mobs replace courts? Where the police choose whose voices to hear? Where the media skip facts to chase headlines? If this continues, justice will become a rare thing, and no one will feel safe, not even the innocent.
But it doesn’t have to be this way.
If we want change, we need stronger and fairer institutions. Police must treat all citizens equally. The media must report responsibly, especially when it comes to sensitive allegations. And as citizens, we must stay alert and raise our voices -- not just when injustice happens to someone we know, but whenever anyone’s rights are denied.
We demand justice for Raees -- simply because he was a citizen who was killed without due process. We demand an end to mob violence, media bias, and police inaction. And we ask for a future where people can trust the system again -- where truth, law, and fairness matter more than anger or rumour.
Because when justice is replaced by fear, and facts are replaced by feelings, we all lose.
Muhammad Raihan Uddin is a research associate at the Bangladesh Institute of Governance and Management (BIGM). Email: [email protected]
