Two more dead, 25 injured as mob lynching continues in Bangladesh

At least two people have lost their lives and 25 others injured as suspicion of child abduction following rumours continue to incite angry mobs across Bangladesh.

News Deskbdnews24.com
Published : 21 July 2019, 06:02 PM
Updated : 21 July 2019, 08:11 PM

The deaths took place on Sunday after lynching at Savar and Keraniganj in Dhaka earlier.

On Saturday, three people were killed by mobs.

An unidentified man in his mid-30s, who was beaten by a mob in Keraniganj last Thursday, died at the Dhaka Medical College Hospital on Sunday night, Keraniganj Model police Station OC Shaker Mohammad Jubayer told bdnews24.com.

Another unidentified woman in her late 20s was assaulted by a mob in Savar on Saturday and he died at the DMCH on Sunday, according to Savar Model Police Station OC AFM Sayed.

Police rescued six fishermen after locals in Naogaon beat them up when they were allegedly fleeing with sacks full of fishes stolen from the owner of a pond, Manda Police Station OC Mozaffar Hossain told bdnews24.com.

“It’s a misunderstanding. The locals beat them up on suspicion that they are child abductors,” he said.

In Rajshahi City, angry locals beat up three people who were distributing chips among children as part of an advertising campaign of Rajshahi Agro Foods and Beverage.

The mob also vandalised their car, Motihar Police Station OC Hafizur Rahman said.

Later at the police station, a mobile court fined the mob beating victims Tk 50,000 for selling chips without BSTI approval.

At Dhutiya Dighir Par in Cumilla’s Sadar Upazila, a woman and two men accompanying her were injured in a mob beating after they had asked a child to show them a toilet, Amrhatoli Union Council Chairman Md Mozammel Hossain told bdnews24.com.

The three were admitted to a hospital, Kotwali Model Police Station Sub-Inspector Tapan Kumar Bagchi said. 

Another young man was injured in a mob beating at Majhigachha neighbourhood under the same union, police said.

Three people with mental disabilities were beaten by mobs in Lalmonirhat and two others in Pabna.

Locals in Lalmonirhat also hurled brickbats at police, who tried to rescue the victims.

At Olipur in Habiganj, locals beat up three people who were “suspiciously” roaming around on an auto-rickshaw, police said.

One of the injured was in critical condition, Shayestaganj Police Station OC Anisuzzaman said.

A rickshaw-puller, an autorickshaw driver, and a day labourer were beaten and injured in Moulvibazar district’s Sadar, Srimangal and Kulaura respectively, according to officers-in-charge of the local police stations.

RUMOURS

Security agencies last week arrested at least eight people on charges of spreading rumours on Facebook that “human heads and blood are required to build the Padma Bridge”.

Besides making the arrests, police rescued several others from mobs that were beating them on suspicion that they were child abductors.

These came after Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader said Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina had ordered officials to track down the people who were spreading the rumours.

Police in Bhola had earlier detained a man on charges of spreading on social media the rumour that “children were being abducted for sacrifice by beheading”.

The Bridges Division in a notice urged the people not to be misled by the rumour.

But at least three fatalities from mob beating of suspected child abductors were reported in Dhaka, Narayanganj and Moulvibazar on Saturday after a man was lynched for beheading a child in Netrokona last Thursday.

The fatal mob beatings of child abduction suspects prompted the law enforcers to warn the people not to take the law into their own hands.

In a warning issued on Saturday, police reminded the people that killing someone suspected to be an abductor in mob beating is a crime.

None of the victims has yet been proved to be child abductor.