The recent death of Tofazzal at the hands of the splendent Dhaka University (DU) students is not only an act of national shame but also a moral degradation of this generation. It not only certifies to the decayed moral standards of the society we live in today but also gives us a glimmer of the tomorrow we are shaping-paradoxically, we are forming thoroughly thoughtfully if one has to say the least. This outrageous and shocking incident; which has unfolded within DU premises speaks volumes about individual and societal failures that we are witnessing. From various social media outlets, it can be evident that Tafazzol is battening psychological strife, he strived his best to cling to his religious and moral obligations; far more than those who consider themselves to be emotionally, mentally, spiritually and psychologically "well" and ethically and logically "sound" i.e. his murderers!
If the specifications of "justice" and "accountability" are to be considered one may ask; is this the way for justice to be served and accountability to be ensured? Is it constitutionally justifiable to mob lynch an accused without circumstantial evidence and proper investigation? The accused (Tofazzal) of stealing cell phones not only went through unbearable torture but also had to untimely give up his life in the hands of bludgeoning justice established i.e. psychopaths. As members of society with reason one muse and surely ask; How did we stoop so low? So, desensitized to the point that we remain humbly silent even when monsters unleash their venoms right in front of our eyes? This tragic incident is not only reflective of the moral decay at the individual level; but rather a much deeper, systematic cultural,constitutional pervasive problem.
Mayhem ensues when a society undisputedly startsto become disillusioned in institutional capacity- be it the judicial or executive branches of the government. In our case, it has mercilessly unfolded at the hands of mere university students who have not even paused to think through their actions. While it is understandable that the lack of prevalence of the rule of law is to blame - with the personal urge to take up law in one's hand is at its maximum, and that one's version of justice seems more valid than that of the established legal processes; one has to accept that in the same way that darkness cannot wipe out darkness- self-initiated violence to ensure justice can never be the answer for prevalent injustice and chaos.
Mob justice was and is never justified- rather it only mirrors the collapsed civility and the loss of the binding fabric that holds a society together. What is utterly saddening in our case is that the loosened moral parameters coaxed Tofazzal's killers into believing that they served the grandest purpose for society by taking up the law in their own hands. Lynches; as it seems never had the chance to understand that true egalitarianism is grounded in fairness; in the notion that anyone irrespective of their economic, social, and mental status deserves a fair trial and hearing.
And like all spine-severing, nerve-wracking news this too does not deserve to be forgotten; rather, it demands our utmost attention in ensuring that it is not enough only to condemn the individuals who committed such acts of atrocities but to look into the circumstances that allowed it to happen; the contributing factors that gives birth to such precedented events and the underlying factors that get into play. What also needs to be examined is the kind of role our educational institutions play in instilling empathy, compassion, and respect for greater society.
Tofazzal's death is a tragedy not only because he had to lose his life, but because of what it says about who we are becoming and about the possibility of this nation tuning just like its neighbor in terms of societal decay. And if we are to prevent such heinous acts from rehappening we must act now and act by strengthening our institutional capacity in ensuring proper routes of justice and, most importantly, by strengthening the moral compass in our younger generations by constantly instilling in them values and moral ethics.
It is tragic to consider that, not very long ago, the fellows of this very institution stood up against tyranny by risking their lives and spilling their blood to ensure that Bangladesh's spirit of freedom was ensured. They stood bravely on the shoulders of their fallen brethren and refused to bow in the face of injustice or comply with them in any accords. However, students from that very institution are now the predators.
How tragically the guards have become the executioners; whether their affiliation is authentic or not is a discussion for another day. It appears as though the very hands that raised the nation's flag in glory now got drenched in martyrs' blood, and is now being tarnished by the innocent blood of their own. Let this incident not fade into the abyss of forgotten news but be a turning point-a moment when we, as a society, say, "Enough." Now is the time that we commit to creating a world where justice is served, not through brutality, but through fairness, empathy, and the rule of law.
Last but not the least, thank you, Dhaka University, for giving us both exhilaration and exhaustion. Undoubtedly, we acknowledge that your power to forge history whileshattering everything drastically simultaneously blink of an eye. You are the best to take blood and give blood. Is this the freedom we have been waiting for-a freedom in which our lives are exchanged for little more than one plate of rice?
The writer is English Teacher, National Ideal English Version School