Dhaka, Jan 6, 2026
The surge in mob violence across Bangladesh has emerged as a dreaded new form of killing, described by many as a “murderous monster” that ceases only with the victim’s death. The rage of the mob resembles a runaway locomotive that destroys everything in its path, a report said on Tuesday.
Writing for ‘Times of Bangladesh’, Dhaka-based author and senior journalist Shahnoor Wahid said, “Murder or homicide has become a favourite sport in Bangladesh. Yes, I prefer to call it a sport – a head-hunting game of the blood-thirsty predators. And the sinister sport is taking place everywhere in the country providing a weird kind of entertainment to the countrymen, whether they like it or not.”
“From the print and electronic media, we come to know of the murders taking place in the country every day in the foulest ways possible. The screaming headlines tell us how people are being beaten to death or shot at or knifed/hacked with great precision. Many of those bone-chilling homicides are taking place in broad daylight, in the vicinity of police stations or court premises or hospitals. Killers chase down a victim and shoot him to death in front of a dozen witnesses on the road or in a shop,” he added.
According to the report, the daily and yearly statistics on killings seem “unbelievable” to anyone with a conscience.
Citing the Bangladesh interim government’s Chief Advisor Muhammad Yunus’s Press Wing, it said, a total of 294 murder cases were registered in January 2025, with the monthly figures climbing to 300 in February, 316 in March, 338 in April, 341 in May, and 344 in June.
The report highlighted that during the first nine months of 2025, an average of approximately 11 murder cases were filed per day, alarmingly, marking the highest daily figures recorded in a decade.
The police data revealed that the Dhaka division accounted for the majority of murders with 685 cases, followed by 352 cases in the Dhaka Metropolitan area under the jurisdiction of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP). The police stated that most of these homicides were connected to political suppression of opponents and attempts to assert local dominance.
“Social psychologists may dig deep into the psyche of the people to learn what motivates them to kill another human at a little provocation or join a fray and get physically involved in fights and so on. Maybe such skirmishes release their energy or pent up emotions. The enormity of the situation definitely calls for undertaking research to come up with answers,” the report noted.(Agency)
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