Bangladesh's attorney general terms mob violence as 'outburst of public anger'

Dhaka: Bangladesh’s Attorney General Mohammad Asaduzzaman on Saturday said last year's nationwide mob violence was not manifestation of distrust against judiciary but rather an outburst of public outrage against the deposed prime minister Sheikh Hasina’s ousted Awami League regime.

Asaduzzaman was speaking at a function organised as part of the series of events coinciding with the first anniversary of the Awami League regime’s ouster on August 5 last year after a more than a month-long student-led agitation that had witnessed violence at several places across the country.

“This (mob violence) is not a reflection of public distrust of the judiciary, rather an expression of anger accumulated in the past 17 years (against the past regime),” Asaduzzaman said.

The attorney general, however, said “such anger is not justified.” A leading rights group Ain o Salish Kendra (ASK) had last month reported deaths of at least 179 people in mob attacks between August 2024, when the past regime was ousted, and June 23 this year.

Bangladesh’s International Crimes Tribunal (ICT-BD) on Wednesday sentenced Hasina to six months in prison in a contempt of court case while it now tries her, in absentia, on a major charge of committing crimes against humanity. Several of her party colleagues too are facing a similar trial in person.

The top law officer, appointed by Muhammad Yunus’ interim government, also said individuals to be convicted by the ICT-BD for crimes against humanity would not be eligible to take part in elections.

Asaduzzaman said Awami League as a party may be prosecuted and “those affiliated with the party and were involved in crimes against humanity, can be brought under the law as well.”

“Despite political rivalries, all parties seem united against the Awami League,” said the attorney general.

The top law officer’s comments came days after Yunus’ press secretary Shafiqul Alam called a “pressure group” the perpetrators of mob violence as they were affected during previous governments.