আইনের শাসন নিশ্চিত করার দায়িত্ব সরকারের

A recent incident in Brahmanbaria's Nabinagar, where an alleged drug dealer was tortured in front of his mother and wife, has raised serious concerns about the rule of law in Bangladesh. Despite the accused having two drug-related cases against him at the local police station, the public resorted to extrajudicial punishment, bypassing the legal system. This act of taking the law into one's own hands, often termed 'salish' or informal arbitration, exacerbates social injustice and highlights a dangerous trend fueled by public frustration over drug proliferation and perceived inaction by law enforcement. The incident questions the effectiveness of law enforcement agencies in bringing alleged criminals to justice, creating a dilemma where their inaction breeds vigilantism, while past operations have seen human rights abuses. The article points out that the drug trade is deeply entrenched with powerful syndicates and corrupt officials, and targeting only low-level dealers will not solve the root problem. The ultimate authority to punish any citizen rests solely with the courts, not with angry mobs or local committees.

This incident underscores the critical importance of upholding the rule of law and ensuring that justice is administered through established legal channels, rather than resorting to vigilantism, which undermines the state's authority and fundamental human rights.