Bangladesh has been gripped by a worsening cycle of mob violence and institutional breakdown since the July 2024 political uprising, with at least 154 people beaten to death between January and August 2026, according to documentation by Ain o Salish Kendra (ASK), a Dhaka-based human rights organisation. The pattern reflects a deepening crisis of law enforcement and public accountability that has persisted across two successive governments.

Scale of the Crisis

Anti-corruption watchdog Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) flagged an alarming and growing tendency among citizens to take the law into their own hands, evident both under the interim administration that assumed power after the 2024 upheaval and under the ruling Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP)-led government that took office following the February 2026 parliamentary elections. The findings were detailed in a report by Global Voices.

United Nations Special Rapporteur on freedom of expression Irene Khan has reportedly cited unchecked impunity as the primary driver of the trend, warning that the absence of accountability emboldens mob action.

Journalists Targeted: Firsthand Accounts

Broadcast journalist Rifat Alam Risan experienced the violence directly. In December 2025, he travelled to Dhaka Medical College Hospital to cover the shooting of radical Islamist leader Sharif Osman Bin Hadi in Dhaka. A member of the crowd falsely alleged that Risan himself was responsible for the shooting, and the accusation spread instantly.

'Someone said, ‘He shot Hadi, and now he has come back to attack us.’ The accusation spread through the crowd, and people who gathered around began attacking me without any judgment or consideration,' Risan told Global Voices in person in Dhaka on 20 September 2026.

'They beat me and forced me out of the hospital. At one point, I collapsed on the road, and they also tried to take my phone. I was eventually rescued by a fellow television reporter and other media workers who were there,' he added.

How Mob Violence Escalates: A Pattern Observed

Broadcast journalist Jamal Ruhany, speaking to Global Voices, described a consistent behavioural pattern behind mob attacks. 'First, one or two people target a specific person. Once one or two people attack that person, many others nearby join in. The people doing the beating often do not even know whether the person is actually guilty, and the person being attacked may not even know what they are accused of. Someone simply says, ‘Beat him,’ and it happens,' Ruhany said.

The dynamic — accusation without evidence, violence without due process — reflects a collapse in public trust in formal legal mechanisms, analysts note. This is not an isolated surge; it represents a sustained shift in how disputes and accusations are resolved at street level.

Police Effectiveness Under Scrutiny

Ruhany also raised serious concerns about law enforcement readiness. 'The police no longer have the same morale they had before August 5. And in areas where mob violence occurs, the police are often not prepared. We do not see the police maintaining a constant state of preparedness,' he said.

The reference to August 5 points to the political rupture of 2024, which reportedly demoralised sections of the police force and disrupted institutional continuity. Critics argue that the BNP-led government has yet to rebuild police confidence or establish effective deterrence mechanisms against mob justice.

What Comes Next

With civil society organisations, UN officials, and journalists all independently documenting the same trend, pressure is mounting on Dhaka to deliver institutional reform. Whether the current government can restore police morale, enforce accountability for mob violence, and break the cycle of impunity will determine whether Bangladesh can reverse one of the most troubling legacies of its 2024 political upheaval.