- विज्ञापन -
Dhaka: Bangladesh has seen a sharp rise in violence against law enforcement agencies under the interim government led by Muhammad Yunus, according to police reports. In the past six months alone, there have been 225 attacks on police officers across the country. These include 24 attacks in September 2024, 34 in October, 49 in November, 43 in December, 38 in January, and 37 in February 2025. In addition to these attacks, police are frequently subjected to rude behavior and there are several incidents of assaults aimed at freeing suspects from custody, as reported by Bangladesh’s prominent Bengali daily, Prothom Alo.
Videos showing police being beaten by student activists and anti-social groups in Dhaka and other parts of Bangladesh have gone viral on social media in recent months. One such video, released earlier this week, showed a police sub-inspector being attacked by a group of 10-15 people after attempting to stop motorcycle riders at a checkpoint. The attackers not only assaulted him but also stole his wallet, mobile phone, and official walkie-talkie.
These incidents of mob violence have become increasingly common since Yunus’s interim government took power in August 2024, following the fall of the Awami League government led by former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. The country has descended into significant lawlessness, with minority communities, particularly Hindus, and police personnel bearing the brunt of the violence.
A United Nations report from the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) described violent mobs in Bangladesh engaging in acts of revenge, including targeting police and Awami League officials since August 2024. Following the ousting of Hasina’s government, large-scale violence broke out across Bangladesh, with mobs not only burning down Awami League offices but also attacking police stations. According to police data, 450 out of 639 police stations were either destroyed or damaged, and many officers fled or were forced to leave their posts. Some officers were lynched or killed, and in many areas, the police effectively ceased to function, as reported by Daily Star.
Recently, an agitated mob calling itself ‘Tawhidi Janata’ surrounded the Shahbagh Police Station in Dhaka, demanding the release of a man detained for harassing a female student at Dhaka University. The growing lawlessness in the country has led to numerous protests, with radical groups and terror organizations, previously banned under the Awami League government, now holding rallies in defiance of regulations. Citizens are also demanding the resignation of Home Affairs Advisor Jahangir Alam Chowdhury, accusing him of failing to maintain security in the country.
