Crime rates spike

Murder, abduction, robbery, burglary, and theft have all seen a spike across the country in January this year compared to the corresponding month over the last five years, according to police data based on the number of cases filed.  

The data come in a stark contrast with home adviser's depiction of the country's law and order situation as "satisfactory".

For example, at least 294 murder cases were filed with different police stations in January this year, up from 231 in the same month last year. The figures were 214, 264, 257 and 273 in the corresponding month of the previous four years, Police Headquarters data show.

Data source: Police headquarters

Cases for robbery rose to 171 in the first month of this year, compared to 114 in January 2024. Abduction cases more than doubled in January this year from 51 in the first month of 2024.

An analysis of monthly crime data over the past six years revealed that the highest number of mugging and robbery incidents in a single month occurred in January 2025, with a total of 242 reported incidents.

Incidents of mugging, robbery and abduction also saw an increase in December and November last year compared to the corresponding months of the previous five years, according to the police data.

The rising trend appears to continue even amid "Operation Devil Hunt" that began on February 8 to restore law and order.

Omar Faruk, a professor at the Department of Criminology and Police Science at Mawlana Bhashani Science and Technology University, told The Daily Star that they too have seen an increase in crimes, such as mugging, robbery, and theft in the last six months.

Data source: Police headquarters

"Are these crimes, which are instilling fear among the public, truly a sign of satisfaction?" he said, criticising the government's claim that law and order was normal.  

He added that people are living in fear of becoming victims of murder, theft, mugging, or burglary, and the government seems unconcerned, as it doesn't know how to address the issue.

"The crime rate is influenced by the size of the population. It doesn't necessarily matter whether the crime rate is increasing or decreasing, but when high-impact crimes rise, it creates a sense of fear among the public," he explained. "Do they even understand this?"

'YOU'LL FEEL IT'

Despite such concerns, Home Affairs Adviser Lt Gen (retd) Jahangir Alam Chowdhury yesterday insisted that the country's law and order situation remains satisfactory, although there is "room for improvement".

"You will see tonight [Monday] that our law enforcement activities have increased significantly. I have instructed everyone in the law enforcement agencies. You will feel this starting from the evening," he told reporters after a meeting of the "core committee" at the home ministry.

Meanwhile, Law Adviser Asif Nazrul yesterday acknowledged the government's shortcomings in maintaining law and order but assured that efforts were ongoing to address the issues.

Data source: Police headquarters

"In the past six months, sometimes the situation was good, sometimes it turned extremely bad. Some members of fascist groups have fled, while others remain in the country with access to vast financial resources. When money is involved, ill intentions are bound to emerge," he told reporters after a conference at the deputy commissioner's office in Rajshahi.

"We cannot deny our failures. There is no way to overlook them. However, we are making relentless efforts to control the situation. Our commitment is unwavering. Our home adviser even held a press conference late last night. Failure does not stop us. We constantly look for new ways to improve," said the adviser.

"If there is clear against anyone, he must be brought under due legal actions. At the same time, no one should be subjected to undue harassment."

Talking to reporters in Cumilla yesterday, Hasnat Abdullah, convener of Students Against Discrimination, expressed discontent about the law and order situation.

Between February 1 and February 24, 2025, dozens of crimes, including murder, rape, mugging, robbery, and extortion, have been reported across the country.

Among them, the February 17 robbery and sexual assault on a moving bus drew national attention, highlighting severe security lapses.

On February 17, a video went viral showing two men attacking a couple with sharp weapons in Uttara.

Earlier in January, 16 people lost lives in mob violence, according to legal rights organisation Ain O Salish Kendra.

Many incidents of attacks on Sufi establishments were also reported. On January 23, the Global Sufi Organisation held a press conference alleging that over 80 mazars (shrines) and darbar sharifs (Sufi centres) were attacked by extremist groups across the country in the past six months. The government also confirmed that at least 40 such sites had been targeted in 44 separate attacks since August 4.

Latest on Sunday night, multiple muggings in different parts of Dhaka caused panic among city residents. Videos of miscreants armed with guns and cleavers went viral, sparking outrage on social media over law enforcement failures.

Despite launching the "Operation Devil Hunt" on February 8 and arresting over 9,000 suspects, the government's crackdown has yielded little impacts on the ground.

The release of some top criminals after the political changeover last year, followed by a rise in reports of extortion, fuelled concerns over crimes in the city, said police officers and victims.

Moreover, arms and ammunition looted during the uprisings have fallen into the hands of criminals. As a result, the severity of crimes has increased, law enforcers and experts said.

Meanwhile, protesters under the banner of "Bangladesh against Rape and Oppression" have issued a nine-point demand, including the resignation of the home adviser within the next 24 hours. They also want him to apologies.  

If the demands are not met, they will announce another torchlight march towards the home ministry this evening.