A human rights organization in Bangladesh has expressed worries about the increasing violence in the country in 2025. The Human Rights Support Society (HRSS) in Dhaka highlighted various forms of violence, including political and electoral violence, mob attacks, lynchings, harassment of journalists, extrajudicial killings, and violence against women and children. According to the HRSS report, there were 168 fatalities and 248 injuries in 292 incidents of mob violence and lynching, triggered by various allegations.
The report by HRSS also revealed alarming statistics regarding political violence in Bangladesh. It documented 133 deaths and 7,511 injuries in 914 incidents of political violence nationwide in the previous year. The violence was attributed to struggles for political dominance, retaliatory attacks, rally-related clashes, disputes over committee formation, election-related violence, extortion, and occupancy conflicts. Additionally, in the lead-up to the 13th national parliamentary election, 54 election-related incidents resulted in three deaths and 494 injuries.
Furthermore, journalists in Bangladesh faced unprecedented levels of violence in 2025, with 539 individuals killed, injured, assaulted, or harassed in 318 incidents. Among these cases, three journalists lost their lives, 273 were injured, 57 were assaulted, 83 were threatened, and 17 were arrested, while 107 journalists were accused in 34 cases. The HRSS report also expressed concerns about extrajudicial killings and deaths in police custody and prisons, with 40 fatalities in operations by law enforcement agencies and additional deaths due to various causes.
The report highlighted the distressing situation of women in Bangladesh, noting that 2,047 women and girls experienced violence in 2025. Among the victims, 828 were raped, including 474 children, while 179 were victims of gang rape and 28 women were murdered after being raped. The violence against women also led to 10 suicides, 414 cases of sexual harassment, 35 deaths due to dowry-related violence, and 383 fatalities from domestic abuse. Additionally, 1,371 children suffered abuse, with 288 fatalities.
HRSS Executive Director Ijajul Islam emphasized the need for concerted efforts by Bangladeshi authorities and society to uphold the rule of law, democratic processes, and human rights protections. He warned that without addressing issues like mob violence, custodial deaths, political tension, election-related violence, and restrictions on free expression, the human rights situation could worsen further.
