We are worried but not surprised by the results of the recent national survey revealing that around 80% of people in Bangladesh are increasingly concerned about mob violence. In addition, 56% of respondents were also concerned about women's safety, 61% about safety at night, and 67% about harassment based on clothing.
But there is one institution that sits quietly at the heart of every development story -- often overlooked, frequently criticized, and rarely reformed and that is the bureaucracy.
Although India may justify the decision on regulatory or quality control grounds, the abruptness and frequency of such measures raise questions about whether there is a strategic motive behind them.
Police sources cite extortion, petty disputes, turf wars, and past enmities as the primary causes behind these killings.
In Bangladesh, justice is traditionally measured by the punishment handed down to the guilty. A conviction, a sentence and a fine mark the formal end of a criminal case. But for the real person behind the case – the victim or their family, the question remains painful and mostly unanswered: what did they truly receive from this justice? The answer is somewhat frustrating.
