The reported assault of a student from Dhaka University once again highlights a deeply troubling pattern that Bangladesh must urgently confront: The normalization of mob justice for every “conflict.”

According to reports, the student was detained and beaten after being accused of links with a banned student organization before eventually being handed over to the police.

Regardless of the allegations, this incident underscores a fundamental problem: In any society governed by the rule of law, accusations alone cannot serve as justification for violence. 

Determining guilt is the responsibility of institutions -- the police, courts, and due legal processes -- and groups of individuals who decide to take matters into their own hands must be made to see the limitations of their own powers.

What makes such incidents particularly alarming is how familiar they have become. A pattern has emerged in recent times, in which an allegation is made, a crowd gathers, and punishment is delivered on the spot. Evidence is rarely examined, due process is bypassed, and the accused is denied even the most basic protections of justice.

In the process, campuses that should represent spaces of learning and debate risk becoming arenas of intimidation and coercion.

Mob violence thrives when accountability is absent. If those who carry out such acts face little to no consequences, the message that is sent to others -- that force wins -- is profoundly dangerous for society at large.

Universities in particular should stand as bastions of reason, tolerance, and critical thinking. When violence replaces dialogue, those values risk being eroded.

The newly elected government must show us its dedication to upholding justice and protecting its citizens by ensuring that those who engage in vigilante violence are held accountable.

Allegations or evidence of illegal or criminal activities are to be handled by lawful authorities, not by mobs, and unless this lesson is enforced, today’s incident will not be the last.