Dhaka-based human rights group Odhikar has documented that the ruling Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and its allies were linked to the largest share of electoral violence incidents during Bangladesh's 2026 national polls, according to local media citing the group's monitoring report. The findings, presented on Monday at a dialogue held at the Centre on Integrated Rural Development for Asia and the Pacific (CIRDAP) in Dhaka, paint a detailed picture of politically driven violence across all three phases of the election cycle.

Key Findings from the Odhikar Report

According to the report, BNP and its allies were associated with 52 per cent of electoral violence incidents recorded before the election, 53 per cent on polling day, and a striking 75 per cent in the post-election period. Jamaat-e-Islami and its allies were linked to 15 per cent of pre-election incidents, 13 per cent on election day, and 9 per cent in the aftermath, according to Bangladesh's leading newspaper The Daily Star.

Violence Hotspots Across Bangladesh

The report identified Chattogram, Cox's Bazar, Bhola, Mymensingh, and Dhaka as the primary hotspots for electoral violence. A total of 62 incidents were recorded in the pre-election period. Chattogram logged the highest count at 11 incidents, followed by Cox's Bazar with 8. Dhaka and Mymensingh reported 5 incidents each, while Sirajganj recorded 4.

Authorities reportedly took action in 34 of the pre-election incidents, while 28 cases saw no reported action — raising concerns about accountability gaps in the electoral process.

Election Day Violence and Official Response

Odhikar documented 32 incidents across 19 constituencies on polling day. Mymensingh accounted for 7 of these incidents and Bhola for 6. Chattogram recorded 4, while Cox's Bazar and Feni reported 3 each. BNP and its allies were linked to 17 of the 32 election-day incidents, Jamaat and its allies to 4, and Islami Andolan Bangladesh to 2. Authorities reportedly took no action in 11 of the polling-day incidents, while the response in 7 cases could not be ascertained.

Broader Pattern of Political Violence

The electoral violence data comes amid a wider climate of unrest. Odhikar separately reported last month that at least 33 people were killed in mob attacks in Bangladesh, while political violence between April and June this year claimed 41 lives and left 970 others injured. Threats, intimidation, and harassment were the predominant forms of violence during the campaign period, with physical assaults, property damage, and deaths becoming more prevalent in the post-election phase.

This is the second consecutive election cycle in which Odhikar has flagged systematic electoral violence in Bangladesh, underscoring the persistent challenge of ensuring free and fair polls in the country. The findings are likely to intensify scrutiny on the BNP-led government's conduct and its commitment to democratic norms going forward.