Rangpur mob violence victims’ families decry police inaction
Families of the two men who were beaten to death in Taraganj upazila of Rangpur allege that police have failed to arrest most of the perpetrators despite video evidence clearly showing the attackers' faces. Law enforcers, however, claim the accused have gone into hiding since the incident, and operations are underway to apprehend them.
"Anyone can recognise the attackers from the video. They are roaming freely, but police are not arresting them. Ruplal was my only son. I lost my husband nine years ago, and my son was my only support. They brutally beat him to death. What is the point of living now?" said Lachhia Robidas, 67, mother of victim Ruplal Robidas, as she broke down in tears.
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Ruplal's mother has been unwell as she has not been eating or sleeping properly since the incident, breaking down while remembering her son, relatives said.
The victim's wife, Maloti Rani Robidas, who filed a murder case, said, "If the police wanted, they could have arrested them easily. But police are avoiding it for mysterious reasons. We hear the attackers are moving about openly at the Burirhat area."
Ruplal's daughter, Nupur Robidas, said their lives have plunged into uncertainty after losing their father, the family's only breadwinner.
"My father used to mend shoes on the footpath to be able to give us -- his three children -- education. We demand immediate arrest of the attackers and justice for my father and my brother-in-law, who were killed mercilessly," she said.
SSC examinee Palashi Robidas, daughter of the other victim, Pradip Lal Robidas, said, "My father was physically challenged, yet he drove a battery-run van to provide for us. He was beaten to death for no crime."
Advocate Babul Robidas, legal affairs secretary of Bangladesh Dalit and Excluded Rights Movement (BDERM), told The Daily Star, "The attackers are identifiable from the footage, but police are yet to act. We have already staged protests and, if needed, will announce a tougher movement."
Pradip Robidas, convener of Bangladesh Robidas Forum (BRF) in Rangpur district unit, said, "This brutal killing of two innocent members of our community has left us devastated. We demand the immediate arrest and trial of all those involved."
Advocate Monilal Das, Rangpur district president of Bangladesh Dalit Parishad (BDP), said, "Authorities must ensure security for the victims' families and provide adequate compensation. The videos of the killings circulating on social media have shaken the conscience of the nation."
Locals of the Burirhat area said at least seven video clips of the mob violence have gone viral on Facebook, where the attackers' faces and voices can be identified.
Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Taraganj Police Station, MA Faruq, however, claimed, "We have identified the culprits from the video. They went into hiding after the incident. We have already arrested four and taken them to remand for questioning. Based on the information, we are preparing a list of the accused and will arrest them soon."
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