Mob beats four 'robbers' to death

Four alleged robbers were killed in a mob beating in Faridpur Sadar upazila early yesterday.

The incident happened around 4:30am after the alleged gang of eight to 10 robbers looted five houses at Char Madhabdia union in the upazila, reports a Faridpur correspondent, quoting police and locals.

Police recovered the bodies but identities of the deceased, aged between 30 and 35, could not be known.

Tuhinur Rahman, chairman of Char Madhabdia union, said the robbers looted five houses at Chowdhurygangi village in the early hours of yesterday.

Hearing screams of the family members, villagers rushed there and chased the “bandits”, he said, adding that locals managed to catch two of them at Chowdhurykanda and two others at Azhar Mandaler Dangi under Ishan Gopalpur union.

The villagers gave them a good thrashing, leaving them dead on the spot, he said. Incidents of robbery increased in recent times, the chairman added.

Four villagers were also injured when the robbers attacked them with sharp weapons. They received treatment at a local hospital.

Kamruzzaman, additional superintendent of police in Faridpur, said the four died due to mob beating. Police recovered a pistol, three bullets and a mobile phone SIM card from the spot.

All the deceased were members of an organised gang of robbers, Kamruzzaman claimed before reports our Kushtia correspondent.

Faridpur Sadar Police Station Officer-in-Charge Nazim Uddin said police recovered the bodies around 9:00am.

According to human rights organisation Ain o Salish Kendra (ASK), at least 69 people were killed in mob beating in the first six months of this year, while 127 died in 2014, 128 in 2013 and 126 in 2012.

Mob killings continue unabated in the country, as the offenders seldom face trial in a society that seems to be plagued by a culture of impunity, say rights activists.

People's lack of respect for law and their growing distrust of law enforcement agencies for alleged corruption and discriminatory application of laws are also major reasons behind extra-judicial killings, they say.