Mob violence kills 259, political clashes claim 195 lives in 17 months: Rights group

Highlights:

• 259 killed, 313 injured in mob violence and lynching
• 6 journos killed, 379 tortured, 33 arrested 
• 44 convicts and 83 under-trial detainees died in prisons
• 43 killed, 49 injured, 186 detained along the India–Bangladesh border
• 1,016 raped, including 550 (54%) children 

At least 259 people were killed and 313 injured in mob violence and lynching, while 195 were killed and 11,229 injured in political violence across Bangladesh over the past 17 months, according to an annual report by the Human Rights Support Society (HRSS).

The findings, published today (4 February), are based on reports from 15 national daily newspapers and the organisation's own research, covering the period from the July 2024 uprising to January 2026.

According to the report, mob violence and lynching -- linked to allegations of robbery, mugging, struggles for dominance, verbal disputes and religious defamation -- claimed 259 lives during the period.

Political violence, meanwhile, stemmed from 1,411 incidents involving party dominance, political retaliation, rally-centred clashes, disputes over committee formation, election-related violence, extortion and forcible occupation of establishments. These incidents resulted in 195 deaths and 11,229 injuries nationwide.

Of those killed in political violence, 134 were associated with the BNP, 26 with the Awami League, five with Jamaat-e-Islami, one with Inqilab Mancha, one with the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement, six with the UPDF, and three with extremist groups. 

HRSS noted that following the July 2024 uprising and the departure of former prime minister Sheikh Hasina from the country, at least 349 cases were filed against her and leaders and activists of the Awami League and other parties. In these cases, 29,772 individuals were named, while more than 65,000 others were accused as unnamed suspects. Additionally, over 55,000 people were arrested in various cases, most of them leaders and activists of the Awami League, Jubo League, Swechchhasebak League and the now-banned Chhatra League.

The report also said police arrested at least 51 members of the banned organisation Hizb ut-Tahrir over the past year.

Regarding attacks on journalists, HRSS reported that in the last 17 months six journalists were killed, 379 tortured or injured, 91 harassed, and 33 journalists were arrested. In addition, 222 journalists were accused in 49 cases.

The report documented 60 extrajudicial killings and deaths in custody, including six deaths in clashes or alleged crossfire, 22 deaths following torture, 12 deaths in police custody, and 20 deaths from gunshot injuries. Another 10 people died while fleeing in fear of police or due to illness.

In prisons and detention facilities, at least 127 detainees -- 44 convicts and 83 under-trial prisoners -- died due to illness, suicide or torture, the report said.

HRSS also expressed grave concern over violence against women and children. During the period, 2,617 women and girl children were subjected to violence. Of them, 1,016 were raped, including 550 children. 

On border-related issues, the report said that along the India–Bangladesh border, 43 people were killed and 49 injured by gunfire from India's Border Security Force (BSF), while 186 people were detained. It also alleged that 3,509 people were pushed into Bangladesh through various border points, and 143 fishermen were detained by the Indian Coast Guard from the Bay of Bengal near Indian waters.

At the Bangladesh–Myanmar border, 26 attacks by the Arakan Army resulted in three deaths and 19 injuries, while 21 fishing trawlers were seized and at least 176 fishermen detained from the Naf River and Bay of Bengal waters.

Raising alarm over attacks on religious minorities and shrines, the report documented 56 attacks on minority communities, leaving one person dead and 27 injured, alongside vandalism of 17 temples, 63 idols and 65 homes, and six incidents of land grabbing. It also reported more than 100 attacks involving vandalism and looting at shrines nationwide.

Summing up the findings, Ijazul Islam, executive director of HRSS, said restoring the rule of law, strengthening democratic processes and protecting human rights require coordinated efforts at all levels of the state and society. He warned that failure to address mob violence, deaths in custody, political tension, election-related violence and restrictions on freedom of expression could further worsen the country's human rights situation.