A year of blood and impunity: Major crime incidents that shook Bangladesh in 2025

From the brutal rape and death of a child in Magura to mob lynchings, campus killings, politically charged violence and attacks on the press, 2025 has been marked by a series of disturbing crimes that exposed deep cracks in law enforcement, justice delivery and social accountability in Bangladesh. 

These incidents not only claimed lives but also ignited nationwide outrage, protests and urgent demands for reform, making them some of the most defining and unsettling crime stories of the year.

Let's dive in.

Asiya: 8-year-old rape victim dies after a week-long battle for life

An eight-year-old girl, Asiya, who was raped in Magura, died on 13 March after days of critical treatment, triggering nationwide outrage and renewed calls for swift justice in cases of child sexual violence.

The child was assaulted on 5 March at her sister's in-laws' house in Magura. The prime accused, Hitu Sheikh, her sister's father-in-law, allegedly committed the rape with the assistance of his son. 

On 6 March, Asiya was taken to Magura's 250-bed hospital in an unconscious state and was later transferred to Faridpur Medical College Hospital and Dhaka Medical College Hospital. As her condition deteriorated, she was placed on life support on 7 March and shifted to Combined Military Hospital (CMH) in Dhaka the following day for advanced care.

Despite being treated by a medical board comprising eight specialists, the girl suffered seven cardiac arrests over several days. Three occurred on the same day, with doctors managing to revive her twice before the third arrest proved fatal. She breathed her last at 1pm on 13 March, according to the Bangladesh Army.

Her body was flown to Magura by helicopter later that afternoon. Namaz-e-janaza was held at Magura Nomani Maidan after Maghrib prayers, attended by people from all walks of life, including government advisers, before she was buried at her village home in Sreepur upazila.

Following her death, enraged locals set fire to the house of the prime accused in Magura Sadar. The rape sparked nationwide protests, with university students and rights groups demanding the highest punishment for those responsible.

Police arrested four people in connection with the case, including the prime accused, his wife, and their two sons. The High Court ordered the investigation to be completed within 30 days and the trial within six months. Law Adviser Asif Nazrul later said the trial would begin within a week, adding that the DNA report would be ready within five days.

On 15 March, the prime accused gave a confessional statement before a Magura court, admitting sole responsibility for the crime. The government has announced plans to amend the Violence Against Women and Children Act to allow special tribunals for expedited trials in child rape cases.

On 17 May, Judge M Zahid Hasan of the Women and Children Repression Prevention Tribunal in Magura sentenced the prime accused, Hitu Sheikh, to death for the rape and murder of eight-year-old Asiya.

However, the court acquitted Hitu's wife Jaheda Begum, 38, and his sons — Ratul Sheikh, 18, and Sajib Sheikh, 20.

Public Prosecutor Monirul Islam Mukul told reporters that the allegations against them could not be proven in court.

Tofazzal: Mentally challenged youth beaten to death at Dhaka University hall

A young man named Tofazzal was beaten to death after being suspected of theft at Fazlul Haque Muslim Hall of Dhaka University on 18 September, raising serious concerns over mob violence and campus safety.

According to eyewitnesses, Tofazzal was detained by students around 8pm after being accused of stealing mobile phones and wallets from the hall. He was subjected to hours of interrogation and physical assault, beaten repeatedly from evening until late night. 

Witnesses said he was fed at the hall canteen before being beaten again until he collapsed.

Around midnight, he was taken to Dhaka Medical College Hospital in critical condition, where doctors declared him dead. Hospital authorities confirmed multiple injury marks, bruises, and scars across his body. 

It later emerged that Tofazzal was mentally challenged and had no immediate family, often wandering around the university campus.

Students protested on campus, demanding justice and accountability following the incident. 

Subsequent investigations revealed that Tofazzal had lost his parents and brother in quick succession, which contributed to his mental instability. 

Police arrested several individuals, including a former student leader accused of leading the assault.

On 25 September, Tofazzal's maternal cousin filed a case against the hall provost and 14 others. The court accepted the case but ordered a halt to the new investigation pending the outcome of a separate police probe already underway. 

The court asked investigators to submit their report by 25 November.

Shammo: Dhaka University student stabbed to death near campus

Shahriar Alam Shammo, a 25-year-old Dhaka University student and a Chhatra Dal leader, was stabbed to death near Suhrawardy Udyan on 13 May following an altercation.

According to police, Shammo was riding his motorcycle near the Mukta Mancha area when a collision with another bike led to a dispute. The argument escalated into a physical confrontation, during which he was stabbed in the right thigh with a sharp weapon. The assailants fled the scene immediately.

He was rushed to Dhaka Medical College Hospital by his classmates but succumbed to his injuries shortly after arrival. Doctors confirmed a deep stab wound, and the body was sent to the morgue for autopsy.

Students of the Institute of Education and Research announced a class boycott and staged protests demanding justice and improved security around the campus. Police filed a murder case following a complaint by Shammo's brother.

By late May, police arrested six accused from different parts of the capital. After several rounds of remand, a Dhaka court sent all six to jail pending further investigation. The case remains under trial.

Nural Pagla: Mob exhumes grave and burns body of self-proclaimed Imam Mahdi claimant, 1 killed in clash 

At least one person was killed and more than a hundred others injured on 5 September as violent clashes broke out in Rajbari's Goalanda upazila over the grave of Nurul Haque Molla, popularly known as Nural Pagla, who had claimed to be Imam Mahdi.

The violence erupted around noon when agitated locals attacked Nural Pagla's dwelling and grave site in the Ansar Club area. His followers resisted, triggering hours-long clashes in which both sides hurled bricks and stones. 

Md Rasel Molla, 28, a follower of Nural Pagla, was critically injured during the violence and later died while undergoing treatment at Faridpur Medical College Hospital.

During the unrest, mobs vandalised and set fire to the structure built over Nural Pagla's grave, torched nearby houses, and damaged several vehicles, including two police cars and the upazila nirbahi officer's vehicle. 

According to the UNO, the attackers exhumed Nural Pagla's body, carried it in a procession to the Dhaka-Khulna highway at the Padma intersection, and set it on fire.

Tensions had been simmering since Nural Pagla's death on 23 August, after his family buried him in front of his house inside a tall structure painted to resemble the Kaaba, with a banner declaring it the "Darbar Sharif of Hazrat Imam Mahdi (AS)". 

The grave angered local Muslims and prompted protests by religious groups. 

Although the administration held multiple meetings and the family agreed to remove the signboard and change the colour of the structure, the demand to lower the grave was not met within the agreed timeframe.

Following Jummah prayers on 5 September, locals gathered at the Ansar Club square, after which clashes broke out between protesters, many identifying themselves as Tawhidi Janata, and Nural Pagla's followers. 

Law enforcement agencies, including police, army, magistrates, RAB and fire service teams, intervened repeatedly and brought the situation under control by evening.

Police later filed two cases over the incident. One was lodged by the father of the deceased Rasel Molla, while another was filed by a police sub-inspector against 3,000 to 3,500 unnamed individuals for attacking police, vandalism, looting and arson. The Detective Branch arrested a youth, Russell Mandal, in connection with the attack on the shrine and the burning of Nural Pagla's body.

So far, at least 27 people have been arrested as investigations continue into one of the most violent religion-linked unrests of the year.

Dipu Chandra Das: Garment worker lynched over alleged blasphemy 

Dipu Chandra Das, a 28-year-old garment worker, was beaten to death by a mob in Mymensingh's Bhaluka upazila on 18 December over allegations of blasphemy.

According to police and RAB, the victim was forcibly dragged out of his factory by an angry crowd, beaten to death, and later tied to a tree and set on fire. 

Investigators later said no one could confirm having personally heard Dipu make any derogatory remarks.

Following the incident, police detained several suspects. 

A case was filed by the victim's brother, and a court later placed 12 accused on remand. 

Investigations are ongoing, with authorities reiterating that all those involved will be brought to justice.

Sharif Osman Hadi: Political activist shot dead amid election tension

Sharif Osman Hadi, spokesperson of Inqilab Mancha and an aspiring independent parliamentary candidate, was shot in the head by unidentified assailants in Dhaka's Paltan area on 12 December, a day after the election schedule was announced.

Witnesses said Hadi was shot by three men on a motorcycle near Box Culvert Road after Jumma prayers. He was rushed to Dhaka Medical College Hospital in critical condition and later transferred to Evercare Hospital. Doctors described massive brain damage, with the bullet passing through his skull. Despite multiple surgeries and life support, his condition remained critical.

He was later flown to Singapore for advanced treatment but died on 18 December at Singapore General Hospital. 

His death sparked widespread unrest, particularly among supporters.

Following the killing, violent protests erupted in the capital. Protesters vandalised and set fire to the offices of Prothom Alo and The Daily Star, trapping journalists inside. 

Police launched multiple investigations into both the murder and the subsequent attacks on media houses. Hadi's body was flown back to Dhaka on 19 December for burial.

Ayesha: Child burnt to death in arson attack in Lakshmipur

Eight-year-old Ayesha Akter Sanju was burnt to death after miscreants set fire to her family's home in Lakshmipur on 20 December, allegedly targeting her father, a local BNP leader.

According to police and family members, attackers locked the tin-shed house from outside and poured petrol before setting it ablaze. Ayesha was trapped inside, while her two sisters and parents managed to escape with severe burn injuries.

Firefighters recovered Ayesha's body and shifted the injured to Dhaka Medical College Hospital's burn unit. The incident drew strong condemnation from political leaders, who demanded a thorough investigation.

Police said the matter is under investigation, and legal proceedings are underway to identify and arrest those responsible.

Surge in rape and sexual violence exposes Bangladesh's deepening crisis

Beyond the headline-grabbing cases that shook the nation, February and March were marked by an unrelenting flow of rape reports from across Bangladesh, revealing a deeply disturbing pattern of sexual violence, with children overwhelmingly bearing the brunt.

During this period alone, police arrested a 42-year-old man in Narayanganj for raping a teenage girl with disabilities, while in Chattogram a 70-year-old was detained for allegedly raping a child, highlighting how perpetrators span generations. 

In separate incidents, two teenage boys were accused of raping a six-year-old, and a 10-year-old girl was raped by her neighbour in Gulshan, one of the capital's most affluent areas, shattering assumptions that wealth or location offer protection.

The violence also penetrated the most intimate and trusted spaces. 

A father was arrested for raping his own 10-year-old daughter inside their home, while a schoolteacher was accused of raping a fifth-grade student, raising grave concerns about children's safety within families and educational institutions. 

In Jatrabari, two siblings with disabilities were reportedly raped, while in Satkhira, a youth was arrested for allegedly raping a speech-impaired girl, stressing how vulnerability is repeatedly exploited.

Sexual violence during this time was not limited to children alone. 

A pregnant woman was reportedly gang-raped in South Keraniganj, an intellectually challenged woman was raped in Sylhet, and a 20-year-old man was raped in Narayanganj, showing that the crisis cuts across age, gender and physical ability.

Taken together, the incidents documented this year form a bleak and urgent narrative of Bangladesh in 2025 - one marked by extreme violence, moral breakdown and the repeated failure to protect the vulnerable. 

From the rape and death of children to mob killings, political assassinations, religiously driven violence and attacks on the press, these crimes reflect not isolated eruptions but a wider erosion of the rule of law, social restraint and institutional authority. 

Public outrage has been loud and widespread, yet justice has remained slow, reactive and uneven. Unless accountability becomes certain rather than exceptional, and the state moves beyond damage control to structural reform, such violence will continue to define the national landscape.