Dhaka, October 3, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
Bangladesh has continued to witness mob violence and concerns over law and order since the July-August 2024 uprising, with rights groups documenting a high number of deaths in mob attacks and raising questions over the effectiveness of institutional responses.
Ain o Salish Kendra (ASK), a Dhaka-based human rights organisation, recorded at least 154 people beaten to death in mob violence across Bangladesh between January and August 2026. The organisation published the figures as part of its human rights monitoring data.
The issue has remained a concern through Bangladesh’s political transition. Human rights monitoring groups have also documented political violence and other forms of insecurity surrounding and following the February 2026 parliamentary election.
A report cited by the source material also highlighted concerns raised by Transparency International Bangladesh over the use of mobs to press demands. UN Special Rapporteur on freedom of expression Irene Khan has previously raised concerns about impunity and its impact on accountability in Bangladesh.
The pattern has also affected journalists. Broadcast journalist Rifat Alam Risan told Global Voices that he was attacked at Dhaka Medical College Hospital in December 2025 while reporting on the shooting of Islamist leader Sharif Osman Bin Hadi.
Risan said someone in the crowd falsely accused him of involvement in the shooting, after which several people attacked him and forced him out of the hospital. He said fellow journalists eventually rescued him.
Another broadcast journalist, Jamal Ruhany, described a similar pattern in which an accusation against an individual can quickly spread through a crowd, prompting others to join an attack without establishing whether the person is actually responsible.
Concerns over police preparedness have also been raised. Ruhany told Global Voices that police morale and preparedness had weakened and that officers were often not adequately prepared to respond when mob violence breaks out.
The BNP government, which took office after the February 2026 election, has publicly said mob action would not be tolerated. Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed said in February that demands should be addressed through due process and that the government would work to restore public confidence in the police.
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