Bangladesh is witnessing a rise in mob attacks, vandalism and extortion, with reports raising fresh concerns over the country’s law and order situation….reports Asian Lite News Desk
Bangladesh is witnessing a worsening law and order situation, with mob attacks, vandalism, extortion and other crimes raising concerns about growing lawlessness, according to a report in Bangladeshi media. The report said violence was increasingly being followed by narratives seeking to justify attacks, pointing to what it described as a broader erosion of social order.
The report in Bangladeshi daily Prothom Alo said people appeared increasingly vulnerable to attacks at different times, citing incidents ranging from damage to shrines and khanqahs, or Sufi centres, to the recent vandalism of a studio belonging to a prominent content creator.
“The dream of seeing and building a prosperous Bangladesh is an old one. It is not just in speeches or literature; thousands of people have sacrificed their lives for this dream at various times,” the report said.
It added that the aspiration for a prosperous Bangladesh had repeatedly remained unfulfilled despite sacrifices made by citizens over the years.
Citing Bangladesh’s newspaper New Age, the report said the River Police had recovered more than 900 bodies from rivers over the past 20 months, with the highest number found in waterways in the Dhaka region.
The report also cited figures published by Bengali-language daily Bhorer Kagoj, which recorded 723 cases or complaints of extortion filed at police stations across the capital during the first eight months of the year.
According to the report, 85 per cent of the complaints that were investigated were found to be substantiated. It said both sets of figures were sourced from police.
Why is Bangladesh’s law and order situation raising concern?
The report argued that official crime figures may represent only a portion of the actual scale of criminal activity because many victims do not approach the police.
“Only a fraction of actual crimes in Bangladesh’s society make it to police attention. Often, to avoid further hassle, victims do not report their complaints,” it said.
It described the available figures as potentially representing “the tip of a terrifying iceberg” and questioned what the situation might be in areas outside Dhaka and other major centres.
The report also argued that Bangladesh’s political system faces pressure to respond to public demands for justice, fair distribution of resources and reforms to laws and administration.
According to the report, political stability after 2024 would depend on addressing these concerns, while it alleged that the existing political system remained reluctant to undertake such reforms.
It cited several developments, including the Prevention of Forced Disappearances Act, the Human Rights Commission Act, changes involving the Rapid Action Battalion, parliamentary standing committees and provisions in a draft cyber law.
What has the Awami League alleged about Bangladesh?
Earlier this week, Bangladesh’s Awami League alleged that the country’s law and order situation had collapsed under the ruling BNP government.
The party cited what it described as alarming levels of murder, rape, mob killings and enforced disappearances.
The Awami League also accused Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed of prioritising political retaliation over maintaining law and order.
“Maintaining law and order is the responsibility of the Home Ministry. When a minister, having failed to fulfill that responsibility, instead begins announcing rewards for political arrests, it becomes clear that, for this government, the safety and security of the people are not the priority. Political retaliation is,” the party said.
The allegations come amid broader concerns over violence, crime and political tensions in Bangladesh.
