Dhaka, Feb 4 (.) Amid a dramatically deteriorating law and order situation in Bangladesh, over five have been killed in mob violence and 970 injured within just two months of the announcement of election schedule for the 13th parliamentary elections since December last year, Human Rights Support Society (HRSS) said on Wednesday.
The human rights body underscored the deteriorating human rights situation in the country since the interim govt came to power by citing figures at a press conference at the Jatiya Press Club here, reports Daily Star.
The reports were cited from a publication titled “Report on Violence Prior to the 13th National Parliamentary Election” brought out by the HRSS.
Prepared using data from 15 national dailies, and more than 150 local newspapers, along with information collected by district correspondents, the report coallted over 162 incidents of violence that were recorded between December 11, 2025, when the election schedule was announced, and January 31, 2026.
These incidents include clashes, attacks, vandalism, and arson involving rival candidates and their supporters, which more often than not stemmed from disputes regarding nominations and local political dominance.
Presenting a broader picture of human rights conditions over the last 17 months, from September 2024 to January 2026, another HRSS report published on the same day said 1,411 incidents of political violence occurred nationwide, leaving at least 195 people dead and 11,229 injured.
Nearly half of these total 704 incidents resulted from internal feuds within the BNP and its affiliated bodies, with these intra-party clashes alone leading to 121 deaths and left 7,131 people injured.
Noting these incidents to be “extremely alarming,” the HRSS said that many of these conflicts stemmed from extortion, mob violence, power struggles, religious extremism, political vengeance, rally-related violence, bid to seize control of institutions, and an overall power vacuum, leading to the deplorable security situation.
According to the report, 413 incidents of mob beatings were recorded nationwide during the 17 months under the interim government, resulting in at least 259 deaths. The report highlighted the heinous murder of Dipu Chandra Das, who was lynched last year for committing “blasphemy”, but was later noted to have been killed as a result of workplace rivalry rather than religious confrontation.
In addition, the HRSS noted that over 60 people were killed during the same period in clashes with law enforcers, in custody, or due to torture. The breakdown includes six deaths in clashes or alleged “gunfights”, 22 due to torture, 12 in law enforcement custody, and 20 from gunshot wounds.
Furthermore, at least 127 accused individuals died in prison custody across the country during this period, with 56 documented attacks against minority communities, including vandalism of homes, and attacks on places of worship. . . .