At least 518 journalists faced violence, intimidation and harassment across Bangladesh during the first nine months of 2026, while 4,827 Awami League members and supporters were among 5,644 people arrested in politically related cases, according to a human rights report released Monday.
The Human Rights Support Society (HRSS) documented 288 incidents involving journalists between January and September, leaving 297 injured, 87 physically harassed or humiliated, and 77 threatened. Another 20 journalists were detained, while 51 were named as defendants in 19 cases filed under the Cyber Security Act 2026.
Awami League members and supporters accounted for approximately 86% of the political arrests documented by HRSS. The organization also recorded at least 270 politically related cases involving 5,809 named defendants and another 32,433 unidentified suspects during the nine-month period.
The report further documented 187 deaths in mob violence, 73 deaths in political clashes and 95 deaths in prisons, alongside widespread violence against women and children.
Published on October 19, the findings were compiled from reports in 16 national newspapers, information collected by HRSS and the organization’s investigations.
Attacks on Journalists Approach Full-Year 2025 Total
The number of journalists subjected to violence and harassment during the first nine months of 2026 has already approached the total recorded throughout 2025.
HRSS documented 318 incidents involving 539 journalists last year, compared with 288 incidents affecting 518 journalists between January and September 2026.
The nine-month figure represents approximately 96% of the total number of journalists affected during the previous year.
The latest report recorded 297 journalists injured, 87 physically harassed or humiliated and 77 threatened. Another 20 were detained, while 51 were implicated in 19 cases under the Cyber Security Act 2026.
The organization’s monthly monitoring reports indicate that attacks and intimidation continued throughout the third quarter.
In September alone, HRSS documented at least 20 incidents affecting 35 journalists. Sixteen were injured, 12 were physically harassed, three received threats and one was detained.
Among the incidents was an alleged attempt by a mob to take control of Keshabpur Press Club in Jashore on September 20. Several journalists, including former general secretary Jaydeb Chakraborty and incumbent general secretary Abdullah Al Fuad, were reportedly injured.
In August, HRSS recorded 32 incidents affecting more than 45 journalists, including at least 26 who sustained injuries.
Political Violence Kills 73, Injures 6,473
Political violence claimed 73 lives and injured 6,473 people in 1,013 incidents across Bangladesh between January and September.
According to HRSS, approximately 91% of the incidents involved internal disputes within the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) or clashes between BNP supporters and members of other political parties.
Internal BNP conflicts accounted for 342 incidents, leaving 40 people dead and 2,632 injured.
Clashes between BNP and Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami supporters resulted in 11 deaths and 2,190 injuries across 321 incidents.
Another 93 clashes between BNP and Awami League supporters killed nine people and injured 545.
Of the 73 people killed in political violence, HRSS identified 46 as BNP members or supporters, eight as affiliated with Jamaat-e-Islami and six as associated with the Awami League.
Internal BNP disputes accounted for more than half of all political violence deaths recorded during the reporting period.
The 1,013 political violence incidents documented in the first nine months of 2026 have already exceeded the 914 incidents recorded throughout 2025.
However, the death toll remained lower than the 133 deaths recorded last year, when political violence also injured 7,511 people.
More Than 5,600 Political Arrests, Most Involving Awami League
The report documented at least 270 politically related cases filed across Bangladesh during the first nine months of 2026.
Those cases named 5,809 individuals as defendants and included another 32,433 unidentified suspects.
HRSS recorded 5,644 arrests associated with political activities or cases.
Of those arrested, 4,827 were identified as Awami League members or supporters, representing approximately 86% of the total.
Another 609 were affiliated with the BNP, while 145 were associated with Jamaat-e-Islami.
The figures indicate that Awami League members and supporters constituted the overwhelming majority of political arrests documented by the organization during the reporting period.
HRSS also recorded 58 incidents in which political meetings or rallies were obstructed, leaving 439 people injured and 46 detained.
Separately, 88 attacks targeting political leaders and activists resulted in 52 deaths, according to the report.
Mob Violence Claims 187 Lives, Surpassing 2025 Total
At least 187 people were killed and 401 injured in 398 incidents of mob violence and lynching across Bangladesh between January and September.
HRSS said the incidents arose from allegations involving theft, robbery, snatching, personal disputes, struggles for local dominance, religious insults, rape and attempted rape.
The nine-month death toll has already exceeded the 168 deaths recorded in 292 incidents of mob violence throughout 2025.
The number of incidents has also increased substantially, with 398 documented in nine months compared with 292 during the preceding 12 months.
The 187 deaths recorded between January and September represent an increase of approximately 11% over the organization’s full-year 2025 figure.
The report separately documented 402 incidents of election-related violence, leaving 13 people dead and 2,623 injured.
More than 600 homes, businesses and election offices were attacked, vandalized, looted or set on fire during the periods before and after elections, according to HRSS.
Government Crime Figures Show a Different Trend
The findings emerged as Bangladesh’s Home Ministry reported a decline in several major categories of registered crime during the same nine-month period.
According to ministry statistics released in October, police recorded 2,659 murder cases between January and September 2026, compared with 2,913 during the corresponding period in 2025.
That represents a decline of approximately 9% compared with the corresponding period under Muhammad Yunus’s interim government.
Reported robbery and dacoity cases fell from 538 to 387, a decrease of about 28%, while burglary cases declined from 1,483 to 1,374.
The ministry also reported that cases involving violence against women fell from 9,262 to 8,178, while registered child abuse cases declined from 3,591 to 3,151.
The two datasets measure different aspects of violence and crime.
The Home Ministry figures represent offences registered with law enforcement agencies, while HRSS compiles documented human rights violations and incidents reported through newspapers and its own monitoring.
Consequently, the statistics cannot be treated as directly comparable measures of overall crime or violence.
Prison Deaths Reach 95; Most Victims Were Awaiting Trial
At least 95 prisoners died in Bangladesh’s jails during the first nine months of 2026.
Of the deceased, 40 were convicted prisoners and 55 were awaiting trial.
HRSS identified 20 of those who died as members or supporters of the Awami League and its affiliated organizations, one as associated with the BNP and 74 as prisoners without a recorded political affiliation.
Undertrial prisoners accounted for approximately 58% of the deaths documented in prisons.
The organization separately recorded 17 deaths involving law enforcement personnel.
Of those, 12 occurred in custody or were allegedly linked to torture, two resulted from shootings and three occurred in incidents described as gunfights.
Another 10 people died in separate incidents while attempting to escape from pursuing law enforcement personnel.
These categories were reported separately from the 95 deaths recorded inside prisons.
More Than 2,400 Women and Girls Face Violence
HRSS documented violence and abuse involving at least 2,404 women and girls during the nine-month period.
At least 657 were raped, including 392 victims under the age of 18.
The organization recorded 130 victims of gang rape, while 29 women and girls were killed following rape.
Another 696 women and girls were subjected to sexual harassment or abuse.
Domestic violence claimed the lives of 457 women, while 279 were injured and 219 died by suicide, according to the report.
The organization also documented 1,810 children subjected to various forms of violence and abuse, including at least 494 who died.
Earlier HRSS monitoring showed that violence against women and girls had already increased substantially during the first half of the year.
Its January–June report documented 1,621 victims, compared with 1,042 during the corresponding period in 2025, representing an increase of approximately 56%.
Of the victims recorded during those six months, 404 were raped, including 238 children and adolescent girls.
Attacks on Minorities Double Compared With 2025
The nine-month report documented 56 attacks on religious minority communities, leaving 62 people injured.
The incidents included attacks and vandalism targeting 21 temples, 20 religious idols and 47 homes.
HRSS also recorded four incidents involving land grabbing and the gang rape of a woman from an indigenous community.
The number of documented attacks on minorities was twice the 28 incidents recorded during the whole of 2025.
Last year’s incidents resulted in one death and 16 injuries, while six temples, 37 religious idols and 38 homes were attacked or vandalized.
The comparison indicates an increase in the number of incidents documented by HRSS, although the figures do not necessarily represent every attack occurring nationwide.
Workers Face Rising Violence and Fatal Accidents
Violence and abuse involving workers resulted in 145 deaths and 1,263 injuries across 582 incidents during January–September.
HRSS separately documented another 390 deaths in workplace accidents associated with unsafe working conditions and inadequate protective equipment.
Combined, the two categories accounted for 535 worker deaths.
The organization recorded 359 incidents of violence and abuse involving workers throughout 2025, resulting in 96 deaths and 1,021 injuries.
The 582 incidents documented during the first nine months of 2026 have therefore substantially exceeded the full-year 2025 figure.
HRSS also reported that 491 bodies were recovered in connection with 465 suspected murder incidents involving rivers, canals, forests and abandoned locations across Bangladesh.
Border Violence Kills Bangladeshis
Along the Bangladesh-India border, HRSS documented 43 incidents involving India’s Border Security Force (BSF), resulting in 13 deaths and 39 injuries.
The organization also reported violence along the Bangladesh-Myanmar border.
According to its findings, 24 incidents in the border region left one person dead, six injured and 83 detained.
Landmines allegedly planted by the Arakan Army killed another eight people and injured five, HRSS reported.
The allegations concerning responsibility for the landmines have not been independently established.
HRSS Calls for Action Against Violence
HRSS Executive Director Ejazul Islam called for coordinated action by the government and all sections of society to improve Bangladesh’s human rights situation, establish the rule of law and strengthen democratic institutions.
He urged authorities to take effective measures against political and election-related violence, mob attacks, harassment of journalists, restrictions on freedom of expression, violence against women and children, attacks on minorities, unsafe working conditions, deaths in custody and prisons, and allegations of enforced disappearances.
Islam warned that the country’s human rights situation could deteriorate further unless these problems were addressed through effective measures.
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