Staff Reporter :
The Interim Government has issued a comparative report on country’s law and order situation from 2020 to August 2025, highlighting shifts in crime patterns following the political transition.
The report, sent to the media on Tuesday by Chief Adviser’s Press Secretary Shafiqul Alam, highlights both improvements and new dynamics in crime reporting under the current interim government.
On homicides, the report notes that the number of murder cases appeared higher during the past 13 months of the interim government.
However, this surge is partly explained by the filing of at least 1,130 previously unreported murder cases since the mass uprising of August 6, 2024, which ended Sheikh Hasina’s 16-year rule.
Many of these cases could not be filed earlier due to threats from ruling party-backed gangs and police reluctance to register complaints. Only after the change in government were these suppressed cases documented and officially recorded.
The report stresses that while 2025 appears to show increases in several categories of crime compared to earlier years, this is less a sign of a new wave of violence and more a reflection of delayed justice. Citizens are no longer blocked from filing cases against politically protected offenders.
Under the previous government, crime data appeared artificially low because ruling party activists often prevented victims from filing cases, especially when perpetrators were party members, and police were unwilling to register such complaints.
A breakdown of crime statistics shows notable changes. Robberies dropped from 1,405 in 2024 to 1,314 in 2025, though the figures remain higher than pre-2023 levels.
This decline, according to the Press Wing, reflects the fact that all robbery cases are now being recorded without interference from influential figures, and police stations are providing a more supportive environment for citizens to file complaints without fear.
Crimes under the Law and Order Disruption (Speedy Trial) Act, 2002 fell from 1,226 cases in 2024 to 651 in 2025. Incidents of violent clashes dropped from 125 to 59, while theft cases showed a significant decline-from 8,652 in 2024 to 6,354 in 2025.
According to the Press Wing, while reported violent crimes such as murder appear to be rising, general crimes are trending downward.
This indicates both improved law enforcement and more accurate case registration. The increase in reported murders and certain crimes since August 2024 does not necessarily mean more violence; rather, it reflects the surfacing of long-suppressed cases, some dating back to 2009-2013.
The report concludes that criminal accountability has improved under the new environment. Victims can now come forward without fear of political reprisals, and police officers no longer discourage or block the filing of criminal cases.
In several categories, especially theft, the decline suggests not only better law enforcement but also a climate where citizens feel safe to report crimes.
