On the night of 9 May 2025, two minor girls—aged between 15 and 17—were viciously beaten with a stick by a youth on a launch docked at Munshiganj Launch Terminal while returning to Dhaka after a picnic. The video of the brutal assault went viral, prompting widespread condemnation and laying bare a dangerous and growing pattern of mob rule and vigilante “justice” in Bangladesh.
The youth, identified as Nehal Ahmed Jihad from Munshiganj town, was seen mercilessly beating the girls while surrounded by 50-60 other men who did nothing to intervene—instead, many filmed the ordeal, some reportedly cheering him on. In a chilling admission, Nehal later told reporters that he took it upon himself to “discipline” the girls “as an elder brother” to prevent a crowd of 200-300 enraged men from further humiliating them due to their “attire.” He claimed his intervention “neutralized” the mob and even attempted to justify his actions by saying he returned looted mobile phones to victims, yet expressed regret over the beatings.
According to police, a group of passengers had exited the launch to buy snacks and were mistakenly suspected to be drug users. Locals, stirred by suspicion and moral panic, attempted to storm the vessel and, after being briefly obstructed by the launch manager, broke in and began beating and looting the passengers. The attackers reportedly tried to break cabin locks and conducted illegal searches. Several boys were also assaulted, videos show, with at least six people injured. The passengers, mostly residents of Kamrangirchar, were returning from a daylong picnic on board the MV Captain with 300 total passengers on board.
The aftermath has highlighted a gross failure of law enforcement and accountability. While the incident unfolded in full public view and was captured from multiple angles, police have yet to make any arrests. Additional Superintendent of Police Mohammad Firoz Kabir deflected responsibility, stating that the river police would look into the matter as it occurred on the water. The river police, meanwhile, said they were awaiting formal complaints, despite having escorted the launch post-incident.
This blatant display of mob violence—enabled by the passivity of onlookers and the sluggish response from authorities—speaks to a disturbing normalization of mob justice in Bangladesh. The idea that anyone can take the law into their own hands, beat up minors in public, and still walk free reflects a breakdown of civil order and accountability. It also reinforces the dangerous belief that women and girls must be “disciplined” or policed for their behavior or appearance, effectively sanctioning gendered violence under the guise of social morality.
Even more alarming is the apathy from law enforcement officials, who have reduced their duty to the receipt of complaints instead of taking proactive legal action based on overwhelming video evidence. This systemic negligence fuels impunity and emboldens vigilante behavior, where mobs become judge, jury, and executioner.
If Bangladesh fails to confront the toxic culture of mob rule, such scenes will continue to erode public safety and trust. Justice must not be crowdsourced to thugs with smartphones. It must come from a rule of law that protects the vulnerable, punishes the guilty, and reinforces the principles of human rights and dignity—especially for women and children.
The state cannot remain a bystander while its citizens are brutalized in broad daylight. It’s time to call mob justice what it is: a national disgrace.