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Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed has stated that the ongoing “mob culture” in the country will no longer be tolerated.
He said, “We will ensure freedom of speech and the right to organize. But we must move away from the tendency to realize demands through mob actions.”
He made these remarks on Monday in response to a question from Member of Parliament Rumeen Farhana during a session of the National Parliament.
During the session, Rumeen Farhana raised concerns about the current “mob culture,” referencing enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings during the previous interim government.
She said, “Statistics from September 2024 to January 2026 show that between 250 and 300 people have been killed as victims of mob culture. I myself was a victim on February 21. What steps is the government taking to stop this culture?”
In response, the Home Minister said, “After assuming office, we clearly announce that there will be no place for any form of mob culture in Bangladesh. The tendency to block highways or roads to press demands, which was seen during the interim government, will no longer be allowed.”
Distinguishing between mob actions and organized crime, he added, “It would not be correct to label everything as mob violence. Attacks or vandalism targeting specific institutions are organized, premeditated crimes. Cases are filed, investigations are conducted, and the accused are brought to justice.”
He further said, “People will always have demands, but these must be expressed through democratic processes. Everyone has the right to submit memorandums to relevant ministries or departments, hold seminars, or organize public gatherings. We will ensure freedom of speech and the right to organize, but we must move away from the tendency to realize demands through mob actions.”
The Home Minister also announced that a bill will be passed in Parliament to provide legal and constitutional protection to the “July fighters” who participated in the July–August 2024 student movement.
He made this statement in response to questions from MPs Akhtar Hossain and Zainul Abdin Farroque.