370 citizens condemn police inaction over Shahbagh mob attack

Condemning the April 10 mob attack in Shahbagh, 370 citizens have accused law enforcement agencies of failing to act.

They also expressed deep concern over "police indifference, lack of cooperation with victims, and reluctance to register a case, even though the assault took place near a police station.”

During the attack, several individuals were beaten up and sexually assaulted.

In a statement issued today, the signatories -- including civil society members and rights activists -- said the failure to act against perpetrators already identified through videos circulating on social media raises questions about the state’s ability to fulfil its responsibilities.

They stressed that every citizen, irrespective of gender identity, is entitled to equal constitutional rights, security, and dignity and that ensuring these rights is a state obligation.

On April 10, a crowd rallying under the banner of “Azadi Andolon” assaulted at least four people in Shahbagh over their perceived gender identity.

The statement listed six demands, including legal action against on-duty police personnel for "negligence"; prompt investigation and exemplary punishment for those involved in the attack; public accountability from the home minister for "failing to ensure citizens’ safety"; legal action against “extremist groups” operating under the banner of “Azadi Andolon”; a clear stance of the state on the rights of gender-diverse individuals and effective steps to stop hate-motivated violence; and the formulation and enforcement of an effective policy to curb harassment in the name of mobile journalism.

The signatories include economist Anu Muhammad of Jahangirnagar University; Khushi Kabir, coordinator of Nijera Kori; Shirin Parveen Haque of Naripokkho; Safia Azim and Geeta Das of the same organisation; Mirza Taslima Sultana of Jahangirnagar University; artist Wakilur Rahman; former Dhaka University professor Fahmidul Haq; filmmaker Reetu Sattar; Supreme Court lawyer Zobayer Khan; artist Razib Datta; writer and researcher Sushmita S Preetha; and Dhaka University professors Kazi Maruful Islam, Kamrul Hasan Mamun, Samina Luthfa, and Moshahida Sultana, among others.

In a separate statement today, South Asians for Human Rights (SAHR), a regional network of human rights defenders, also condemned the Shahbagh mob attack and expressed concern over the government’s lack of response and the "apathy of the law enforcement".

It said mobs had been mobilised in the days leading up to the incidents through hate speech and calls for vigilante justice, yet the law enforcers failed to act.

"Police have not arrested the perpetrators despite video and CCTV footage clearly identifying them. Such inaction points to continued impunity," the statement said.

The civic platform Gonotantrik Odhikar Committee has also condemned the incident.

In a statement issued on April 12, the platform voiced concern and anger over the inaction of law enforcement agencies.

Meanwhile, one of the victims, Kazi Tahsin Agaz, today told The Daily Star that many of the victims had filed a general diary online.

“We tried to file it on the day of the attack, but Shahbagh police only recorded a general complaint,” he said.