Theft, robbery fall, but killings, violence against women, children rise

Infographic: TBS

Cases of theft, robbery, mugging and abduction declined during the first six months of the BNP government compared with the last six months of the interim government.

However, murder, rioting, violence against women and children, and attacks on police increased, according to Police Headquarters data.

The figures show a mixed picture of law and order, despite the home minister's claim that the situation has improved.

Human rights activists and crime experts have suggested the government treat the figures as a warning rather than become complacent.

After forming the government on 17 February, the BNP identified restoring law and order as one of its key priorities. On 18 February, Prime Minister Tarique Rahman said restoring peace and security through improved law and order and strict action against corruption was a major priority.

The government subsequently launched several special operations against drug dealers, extortionists and criminals.

Police recorded 99,992 cases involving various crimes between February and July 2026, compared with 89,012 between August 2025 and January 2026, an increase of 10,980 cases.

Some conventional crimes declined. Between August 2025 and January 2026, police recorded 328 robbery cases, 960 dacoity cases, 460 speedy trial cases, 563 abduction cases, 1,659 burglary cases and 5,113 theft cases.

During February-July, the corresponding figures fell to 256 robbery cases, 904 dacoity cases, 405 speedy trial cases, 512 abduction cases, 1,591 burglary cases and 4,808 theft cases.

The trend was different for serious offences.

Police recorded 1,780 murder cases during the final six months of the interim government, including 178 cases involving earlier murders registered during the period. During the BNP government's first six months, 1,789 murder cases were recorded nationwide.

There were 13 incidents of rioting during February-July, compared with 10 in the preceding six months.

Cases of violence against women and children rose from 10,090 to 11,165, while attacks on police increased from 275 to 317.

Crime trends also varied across regions. Crime declined in the Dhaka, Khulna and Sylhet metropolitan areas and the railway range. However, it increased in the Dhaka, Chattogram, Rajshahi, Rangpur, Barishal, Mymensingh and Sylhet ranges, as well as the Gazipur, Rangpur, Chattogram, Rajshahi and Barishal metropolitan areas.

Experts say the overall law-and-order situation cannot be described as moving in one direction. While the decline in some conventional crimes indicates improvement, rising murder, violence against women and children, mob violence and political violence remain major concerns.

Recent discoveries of bombs and bomb-like objects in Dhaka and elsewhere have also created public anxiety. Experts have expressed concern over militants who escaped from prisons during the mass uprising and those later released on bail.

Although law enforcement agencies have arrested suspects in several cases, alleged masterminds in some incidents remain at large.

On 17 August, Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed said that law and order had visibly improved over the previous six months.

"Whether the improvement is satisfactory will be assessed by the people," he told journalists after a meeting at the Secretariat, adding that more time was needed to strengthen the situation further.

Human rights activist Abu Ahmed Faijul Kabir said the minister's assessment could not be completely rejected, but neither should it be accepted unconditionally.

He said the type and severity of crimes were as important as their overall number in assessing law and order.

"The government should treat these statistics as a warning rather than become complacent," he told TBS.

An improvement would be meaningful only when people feel safe not only from theft and robbery but also from murder, violence and abuse of women and children, he said. 

Strengthening police capacity, ending political and social patronage of crime and ensuring equal application of the law are key responsibilities for the government.

Md Tawohidul Haque, associate professor at Dhaka University's Institute of Social Welfare and Research, said crime trends could be influenced by factors including weather, political conflict and social tensions.

Hot weather can increase irritability and intolerance, potentially turning minor disputes into serious crimes, he said. Election-related clashes, post-election violence and internal conflicts within political parties can also contribute to rising crime.

On the increase in crimes, Khondoker Rafiqul Islam, additional inspector general of Police Headquarters, claimed that the overall crime trend was declining in many areas and the law-and-order situation had improved considerably. 

Highlighting the type of crimes, he informed that nearly 300 murder cases are generally recorded each month.

Cases are sometimes registered later in connection with incidents that occurred earlier, he said, adding that these factors should be considered before concluding that the murder trend had become alarming.

However, he acknowledged that a tendency among people to take the law into their own hands persists. Law enforcement agencies are working to prevent such incidents and bring situations under control, he added.