The fatal beating of a lawyer in Bashundhara Residential Area this week, following a dispute on the street, is deeply disturbing and downright unacceptable.
What should have remained a disagreement apparently escalated into violence and resulted in the loss of a life.
This is a woefully dangerous, recurring pattern, where momentary fits of anger lead to the common man assuming a position of false power in the name of justice.
That the victim was a lawyer himself makes the incident all the more troubling, indicating that even those entrusted with the responsibility of upholding the law can fall prey to a practice that rejects the legal system.
There can be no justification for taking the law into one’s own hands. Disputes, whether personal or public, are meant to be addressed through legal and institutional channels, and failing to do so can only mean a deeper social failure.
A growing intolerance for disagreements and an alarming eagerness to resort to violence over issues that should never escalate to such extents is, ultimately, what
erodes public trust, undermines social order, and feeds a culture of impunity that puts the entire population in danger.
While the search for the perpetrators is ongoing, it is crucial that law enforcement ensures a thorough and transparent investigation, and that those responsible are made to face the full force of the law — not only because the victim deserves justice, but also to reinforce a zero-tolerance stance against indiscriminate violence.
Bangladesh cannot afford to allow such behaviour to become normalized. Violence cannot be an accepted response to conflict, and vigilante action cannot be allowed to replace lawful process.
Upholding the rule of law is not merely the responsibility of the authorities, it is our collective obligation as members of society.
