Dhaka: A midnight raid conducted by a violent mob consisting majorly of students and targetting the residence of an Awami League leader in an upscale area of Dhaka earlier this week has invited scathing criticism from several Bangladeshis who are outraged over police inaction and politically-motivated attacks that continue to increase alarmingly under the current interim government led by Muhammad Yunus.
The house belonged to Tanvir Imam, the son of H T Imam, who was an advisor to the ousted Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. The mob, consisting of over 100 youngsters, ransacked the flat on Wednesday, alleging that Awami League workers were hiding inside and a large cache of illegal weapons and cash were also hidden somewhere around. However, after the search, they admitted to finding nothing.
Videos of the mob led by youngsters shouting anti-Awami League slogans while ransacking the building have now gone viral on social media. They show the mob storming into the house shortly after midnight and breaking down the door under the pretext of searching.
Though the Dhaka police later said that it has arrested a few individuals in connection with the incident, several people claimed that the law enforcement agencies were aware of the so-called “search operation” much in advance and could have stopped it beforehand.
The group was led by senior members of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) who had received “intelligence” that Awami League leaders had hidden a stash of weapons in their house. However, hours later, they admitted that nothing was found, reported Bangladeshi media outlet BdNews24.
Several local channels had also broadcast the break-in live on their social media pages, highlighting the growing anarchy in Bangladesh under the current leadership of Muhammad Yunus, the chief of the interim government who grabbed power after the shocking ousting of Hasina in August 2024.
“In a movie-like style, they smashed the apartment door, entered the house, and looted everything. Now, one might ask—how is something like this possible in an elite area of the capital? In Bangladesh, anything is possible these days because the government itself legitimizes such actions,” Asifur Rahman Chowdhury, a Bangladeshi human rights activist, wrote on X.
“The mob’s journey essentially began on August 5 with the ousting of Sheikh Hasina from power, and it continues to play a terrifyingly effective role in Bangladesh. Never before had Bangladesh witnessed such a history of mob activity,” he added.
Notably, a similar search was conducted at the same complex in the elite Gulshan area on Monday in the presence of the police authorities based on some allegations. Several people aware of the matter told local media outlets that the police had made it clear the second time that they would not be directly involved in the search operation but would join it later.
Bangladesh has been grappling with nationwide violence and riots over the last many months and the protests marches that are being taken out on almost daily basis now highlight the growing impatience amongst the public over the degrading law and order situation in the country.
(IANS)
