Deteriorating law-order situation: People in serious panic
Syed Shemul Parvez :
Incidents of vicious crimes, including mugging, robbery, extortion, brutal murder and rape, are occurring in the capital city as well as others parts of the country in an alarming rate despite having stern actions of various law enforcement agencies.
Though the government is promised to take strict action against criminals and those instigating anti-state and destructive activities, the country has yet to see improvements in the overall state of law and order plummeting since Sheikh Hasina’s ouster in a mass uprising followed by the Professor Muhammad Yunus-led interim government taking over on August 8 last year.
According to sources, Dhaka, Khulna and Chattogram have in fact turned into crime zones, where criminals now operate with alarming impunity.
Brutal murders, mugging incidents even some taking place in broad daylight, have also rattled people’s confidence in the country’s law and order.
These incidents kept occurring even as the army remains deployed across the country with magistracy powers to assist in maintaining law and order.
The recent media reports have suggested a surge in crime this year, fueling fear and insecurity among citizens.
As a result, citizens of the country are in serious panic, especially inhabitants of the city, are very frustrated over the rising brutal crimes incident as they are in fear moving on the city’s streets during the night.
Experts believe amid a situation when the members of the law enforcement agencies have yet to recover their full capacity to perform after a period of turmoil they underwent, starting from the July student-mass uprising into the aftermath of Hasina’s overthrow.
In this regards, Inspector General of Police Mohammad Baharul Alam admitted that the police are yet to regain their control following last year’s traumatic political upheaval.
“You may say we haven’t been 100 percent successful, may be not even 50 percent. The situation is widespread … we must find ways to deal with it,” he told the media on Sunday.
Experts warned that the situation may worsen if the government fails to take prompt and effective measures to tackle it.
According to PHQ, about 3554 people were killed and 144,955 cases of various crimes including murders, dacoity and robbery, were reported across the country since the September 2024 to June 2025.
Besides, according to Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP), 217 murders were recorded in the capital during the first six months.
A recent brutal killing of scrap metal trader Lal Chand alias Sohag in the capital’s Mitford area on 9 July shaking the whole country when a video of which went viral on social media, sparking public outrage massively.
Many criticised how such a barbaric attack could occur in broad daylight and in full view of bystanders, without any intervention.
Meanwhile, a group of armed men attacked a business establishment in the capital’s Pallabi on Friday, allegedly for not getting Tk 5 crore in extortion money.
Also on Friday, unidentified assailants severed tendons and shot dead a former Jubo Dal leader in front of his house in Khulna city.
The same day, a 75-year-old khatib of a local mosque was hacked with a machete after Juma prayers in Chandpur.
On Friday morning, muggers in the capital’s Shyamoli area not only snatched valuables from a man but also took his shirt and shoes.
Just a day before, police recovered the body of a man bearing multiple hack wounds, with his hands cuffed behind his back and legs tied with a scarf, from a roadside in the capital’s Mirpur-11 area.
The slaughtered bodies of a woman and two minor children were recovered from a house in Mymensingh’s Bhaluka upazila on Monday morning.
The deceased were identified as Moyna Khatun, wife of Md Rafiqul Islam, and her two children Raisa Akter, 4, and Md Nirob, 2.
Rafiqul works at a spinning mill at Bhaluka. He lives with his family on TNT Road of the municipal city. He was not at home during the incident.
Rafiqul’s younger brother Nazrul Islam also stays with them. But after incident, he went into hiding, police said.
Bhaluka Model Police Station OC Humayun Kabir said, ”We are investigation the incident.”
When asked about the role of elite force after 5 August, RAB Director General AKM Shahidur Rahman told The New Nation that we are trying our level best to maintain the law order situation along with others agencies jointly after 5 August. We will work more tirelessly in future to recover our previous pride, RAB DG added.
The elite force is focused on regaining public trust following criticism during last year’s political unrest. “Gaining public trust is the main task,” he said.
Dr. Tawohidul Haque, Associate professor and social Criminologist, University of Dhaka told The New Nation that if all the law enforcement agency is not able to work together jointly to combat the crimes, the gang cycle must take the chance to commit crimes.
He also stated that administration is mainly liable for increasing such crimes as they couldn’t ensure proper justice due to the political influence and unethical dealing, Dr. Haque said.
When asked about the ancient justice system of Bangladesh, Dr. Haque said, this is matter of sorrow that we are still depends on ancient British law justice systems that is absolutely unfit for our present circumstances. To decrease the crimes incidents in the country, new justice systems must be ensured very soon, he added.
Omar Faruk, a professor at the Department of Criminology and Police Science at Mawlana Bhashani Science and Technology University, said prolonged political misuse of the police has deeply damaged the institution.
“For 15 years, police have been used politically. Police still don’t behave like they should in a democratic country.”
He added, “I have spoken to several officers. They believe the police are going through a crisis period, and once it’s over, the situation will be under control, gradually.”
However, he said the government has to arrange training or counselling programmes to help officers adapt to the situation.
