Dacoity, robbery down; murder, other crimes up
Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed on Thursday claimed that the country’s law and order situation is now much better than it was in 2025, saying the assessment was made after analysing centrally maintained crime statistics of the police and consolidated data from districts.
However, available Police Headquarters data show a mixed picture, with some major crimes declining while the overall number of registered criminal cases increased after the BNP government took office.
The BNP government assumed office on February 17, 2026. According to Police Headquarters data, 99,992 criminal cases were registered across the country between February and July this year, compared with 89,012 cases during the preceding six-month period from August 2025 to January 2026.
This represents an increase of 10,980 cases, or around 12.3%.
The increase in the overall number of registered cases, however, does not necessarily mean that the country’s overall crime rate has risen.
Registration of cases can be influenced by reporting patterns, police activity and victims’ willingness to file complaints.
Therefore, individual crime categories provide a more meaningful picture of the law and order situation.
Several major crime categories recorded declines during the February-July period. Dacoity cases fell to 904 from 960 in the previous six months, while robbery cases dropped to 256 from 328. Abduction cases also declined from 563 to 512.
Burglary cases fell from 1,659 during August 2025-January 2026 to 1,591 between February and July 2026. Similarly, theft cases declined from 5,113 to 4,808 during the two periods.
The trend in murder cases, however, requires a closer look because figures vary depending on the period used for comparison.
Police Headquarters data cited in reports earlier this year showed fluctuations in murder cases, making it difficult to draw a definitive conclusion from a single period.
Violence against women and children is another important indicator. Although several conventional crimes declined, concerns remain over crimes such as rape and violence against women and children.
The Home Minister himself acknowledged earlier that rape cases had increased slightly while claiming that most other crime indicators had improved.
General Secretary of the AB Party, Nasreen Sultana Mily told The New Nation that the current law and order situation is not satisfactory.
“Drug sales have increased, with drugs reportedly readily available in areas such as Mohammadpur. Effective action to curb drug abuse would significantly improve the situation.”
He said, “The home minister should focus on reducing and controlling crime rather than lecturing people on the Constitution.
The police emergency response also needs to be more effective. Visible and swift justice must be ensured whenever wrongdoing occurs.”
When it comes to violence against women, we do not want to treat women as a separate category.
Instead, we need to ensure overall citizen safety, because when citizens are safe, women will be safe too, Mily said.
Speaking to The New Nation, the Jamaat MP Salah Uddin said theft and robbery have also increased in rural areas, with frequent power outages creating opportunities for vehicle theft, burglary and other crimes.
