Dhaka — September 15, 2025 — Dozens of bodies pulled from rivers and hundreds of homicides recorded nationwide in August have fueled fresh concerns about law and order in Bangladesh, with rights groups warning of a deepening security crisis.
According to River Police data, an average of 43 bodies have been recovered each month in 2025, up from 36 in 2024. Between January and July alone, 301 bodies surfaced in rivers. In many cases, bodies showed signs of foul play such as strangulation, tied limbs, or being weighted with sacks.
On August 23, police recovered four bodies—including a woman and a child—from the Buriganga River in Dhaka. Their hands had been bound to 50-kilogram rice sacks. Forensic officers said the child and woman were strangled before being dumped. Four days later, a headless body was found in the Shitalakshya River in Narayanganj, later identified as a 27-year-old man murdered in what investigators called a “brutal execution.”
Officials acknowledge that rivers are increasingly being used as dumping grounds for murder victims. “Organized groups are exploiting waterways to conceal crimes,” one senior police officer said, adding that rising recovery numbers highlight “serious investigative challenges.”
Hundreds of Murders Nationwide
Police Headquarters data show 2,616 murder cases filed nationwide from January through August, averaging 327 per month, up from 287 in 2024. While authorities argue some of the increase reflects older cases now being formally registered, rights groups say the escalation mirrors a real surge in violence.
In August alone, killings spanned across mob violence, domestic abuse, political clashes, and targeted attacks on journalists:
- Mob lynchings: At least 38 incidents left 23 people dead, compared to 16 deaths in 51 incidents in July.
- Domestic and gender-based violence: Rights monitors reported 30 women killed in domestic violence and three more raped and murdered.
- Child killings: At least 17 children were killed, while 133 others were victims of abuse.
- Journalists: On August 7, reporter Asaduzzaman Tuhin was hacked to death in Gazipur. Two weeks later, veteran journalist Bibhuranjan Sarker was found dead near the Meghna River. Rights groups documented 33 attacks on the press, affecting 96 journalists—triple July’s tally.
- Political violence: Monitors tracked 49 clashes, leaving two dead and more than 500 injured. Intra-party disputes within the opposition BNP were blamed for multiple fatalities.
Comparison With July
While July recorded more mob violence incidents, August was deadlier. Attacks on journalists surged sharply in August, from 30 victims the month before to nearly 100. Political clashes also turned more violent, with multiple deaths tied to intra-party feuds.
Overall, police figures suggest that both July and August exceeded 300 murders each month, reflecting persistently high rates of violent crime.
A Climate of Fear
Analysts warn that the rise in river body recoveries and nationwide killings points to an alarming deterioration of law and order since the political transition in 2024. “Bangladesh is facing a public safety crisis,” said a Dhaka-based human rights advocate. “Without urgent action, the spiral of violence will continue to erode the rule of law.”
