Mob violence surges in Noakhali following schoolboy killing as vigilante groups target suspected drug dealers
Photo Collected
A violent surge of mob justice has swept through Noakhali district in recent days, resulting in at least one death and multiple assaults following the murder of a teenage student by alleged drug dealers. The unrest, which has spread across the Sonaimuri, Begumganj, and Kabirhat upazilas, has prompted growing concerns among local authorities and civil society members regarding the erosion of the rule of law.
The escalation began last Wednesday in Senbag upazila, where 15-year-old Arafat Hossain, a tenth-grade student, was killed. Locals reported that Arafat had frequently protested against a group of suspected drug dealers who were using his grandfather’s property as a base for their illicit trade. The confrontation turned lethal when the suspects launched a coordinated attack on the residence, critically wounding Arafat and two others. While police have arrested one primary suspect, the remaining six individuals named in the ensuing murder case remain at large, fueling widespread public outrage.
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In the wake of Arafat’s death, retribution-style violence has proliferated across the district. In Sonaimuri upazila, 37-year-old Md. Fayez was abducted from his home by a group of men who accused him of involvement in the drug trade. He was severely beaten and left for dead near his home; he was later pronounced dead at the local health complex. His family has since filed a murder case against 11 individuals, and police have confirmed the arrest of two suspects.
The pattern of vigilantism has extended to other parts of the district. In Begumganj, residents targeted the home of a man accused of drug trafficking, dismantling his perimeter wall and house fencing despite pleas from onlookers. Similar scenes played out in Kabirhat, where three men were detained and beaten by locals. A video of the incident, which has circulated on social media, depicts a group assaulting an elderly man by binding him to an electric utility pole.
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Civil society advocates have expressed alarm at the public’s decision to bypass the judicial process. Abu Naher Manju, secretary of the Noakhali branch of Shushashoner Jonno Nagorik (SUJAN), characterized the trend as a dangerous display of reckless behavior among the youth. While acknowledging that drug trafficking is a grave social offense, Manju emphasized that vigilante violence is an affront to the legal system and that citizens should instead cooperate with law enforcement to ensure justice is served through legitimate channels.
District police officials have acknowledged the rising tension and the public’s frustration. Additional Superintendent of Police Abu Tayeb Md. Arif Hossain stated that police have been directed to investigate the incidents rigorously and to bring any suspected drug dealers under the purview of the law. He reiterated that authorities are on high alert to prevent further acts of mob violence, warning that anyone taking the law into their own hands will face legal consequences.
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