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Published : 23 Jun 2025, 08:51 PM
The Ain o Salish Kendra (ASK) has said the interim government cannot avoid responsibility for the mob assault on former chief election commissioner KM Nurul Huda, calling it “an insult to state dignity and the rule of law”.
In a statement issued on Monday, the rights group said at least 83 people have been killed in “mob violence” between January and June this year alone -- warning such numbers point to a deepening state of lawlessness.
On Sunday evening, hours after the BNP filed a case against three former chief election commissioners and other officials over the 10th, 11th, and 12th parliamentary polls, a group of self-proclaimed students and citizens stormed Huda’s residence in Dhaka’s Uttara.
He was dragged from his flat in a lungi and vest, pelted with eggs, forced to wear a shoe garland, and beaten with the same shoes in front of onlookers, including police.
Some of the attackers streamed the incident live on Facebook, where they were heard shouting slogans in favour of the BNP and Khaleda Zia.
Amid growing criticism, the interim administration issued a statement vowing action against those responsible.
BNP Standing Committee member Salahuddin Ahmed also said disciplinary measures would be taken if any party member was involved.
The ASK, however, says such statements are not new -- and past cases have shown little evidence of justice.
The group added that despite occasional military warnings, the government has taken no strong or effective measures to curb this kind of “organised violence”.
It said Huda, a freedom fighter and citizen of the state, “was not just personally humiliated, but that the incident amounted to an attack on constitutional dignity and legal order”.
Video footage circulated on social media showed Huda being assaulted before he was handed over to police.
The ASK said the scene reflected “a direct affront to the constitution, human rights, and the most basic principles of justice”.
The group said the assault violated Articles 31 and 32 of the Constitution, which guarantee every citizen the right to personal safety, dignity and fair legal treatment.
It stressed that no matter a person’s political past or actions, only a court of law has the authority to decide guilt -- not mobs.
Even if there are serious allegations, they must be dealt with through lawful processes, the ASK said.
“Deliberate acts by criminals repeatedly committing such disgraceful acts create a dangerous precedent of impunity, complicating future justice and signalling the rise of ‘mob culture’ in place of the rule of law,” it added.
