Mob violence and riots in Dhaka have been rising at an alarming rate. According to Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) data, 38 riot incidents were recorded in the capital between February and July this year. Motijheel saw the highest number with 13 incidents, followed by eight in Gulshan and seven in Tejgaon.
During the same period, 231 robberies were recorded across the city — 50 in Tejgaon, 46 in Motijheel, and 15 in Gulshan. Assault cases have also spiked, with 503 incidents reported in the last six months. Motijheel alone recorded 129 injuries, followed by 72 in Gulshan and 60 in Tejgaon.
One of the most notable incidents occurred on July 29 in Motijheel when a mob of 30–35 people attempted to seize a commercial building. When police intervened, the mob tried to storm the police station. Three individuals were arrested in connection with the incident.
Another high-profile attack took place on March 5 in Gulshan-2, where a mob surrounded the residence of the ex-wife of former MP Tanvir Imam (son of late HT Imam, former political advisor to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina) with the intent of looting money.
Mob attacks have also spread to elite residential areas. In Baridhara’s diplomatic zone, two apartments in a six-story house were attacked, vandalized, and looted. The flats belong to Capital and Development Ltd.’s Managing Director Mokarram Hossain Khan and his daughter, the company’s Executive Director Mahira Hossain Khan.
Fazle Shamim Ehsan, President of the Bangladesh Employers’ Federation (BEF), said, “The investment climate has been destroyed. Weak law enforcement has eroded investor confidence. Without a stable, elected government, confidence will not return.”
Dhaka Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DCCI) President Taskin Ahmed added, “Mob violence in Motijheel, Gulshan, and Tejgaon is undermining business confidence. Businesses of all sizes are suffering, and consumers are also at risk. This situation is shrinking economic activity and creating a major obstacle to new job creation.”
Business leaders have urged authorities to take swift measures to restore law and order and hold elections on time to normalize the situation.
