Amid the spate of mob lynching suspected child-lifters, Bangladesh Police have urged the people not to take the law into their own hands.
A statement issued from the headquarters on Saturday (Jul 20) reminded that spreading rumours in an effort to create instability and killing someone suspected to be a kidnapper in mob beating is a crime.
As many as eight people were arrested last week on charges of spreading rumours on the social media that “human heads and blood were needed for the Padma Bridge construction”.
The rumours prompted the Bridges Division to issue a notice urging the people not to be misled by the rumour.
The statement from the police headquarters on Saturday said the cases related to mob justice will be investigated diligently by the police, and people involved in such mob violence will be brought to justice.
The Bangladesh Police has further requested all citizens of the country to not spread rumours, and refrain from doling out mob justice.
Three people, including a woman, were beaten to death by angry mobs in Dhaka and Narayanganj on Saturday after they were suspected to be child lifters.
In Dhaka, a woman was killed by locals, while attempting to enter a school in Badda area, on suspicion of being a kidnapper.
Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) Assistant Commissioner (Badda zone) Elin Chowdhury said: "A woman tried to enter a government primary school in Badda area around 9am on Saturday. The guardians thrashed the woman, suspecting her to be a kidnapper. Later, she was sent to Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH) where the duty doctor declared her dead."
In Narayanganj, a man attempted to kidnap a child, and was killed by locals.
Siddhirganj police station Sub-Inspector (SI) Shahidul Islam said that a child screamed out for help when a person was trying to kidnap him. Locals caught the man, and beat him up severely.
"The man was sent to a hospital where the duty doctor declared him dead," he said.
Two men were thrashed by a mob in Keraniganj, killing one, and injuring the other.
Kolatia police outpost in-charge Inspector Shah Alam, said the two youths were roaming the Charpalton village of Manikganj’s Singaier upazila, and tried to talk to children. When the villagers suspected them to be kidnappers, they chased the two across a river to Keraniganj.
While they were trying to flee the scene, locals nabbed them and beat them to a pulp, he added.
The police rescued them from the mob and rushed them to the state-run hospital in Keraniganj where the doctors declared one dead, and put the injured under treatment, Shah Alam said.
The inspector further added that police are investigating the matter.