Bangladesh is confronting a deepening law-and-order crisis, with police headquarters data showing 915 murder cases registered across the country over a three-month period — a daily average of more than 10 killings. The surge, reported by local media, is being driven by a volatile mix of political feuds, underworld rivalries, illegal firearms, and the return of convicted criminals to the streets following the country's 2024 political transition.

The Numbers Behind the Crisis

According to Bangladesh Police Headquarters data, 317 murders were recorded in March — shortly after the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) assumed office — followed by 288 in April and 310 in May. Geographically, Dhaka Range topped the list with 207 cases, trailed by Chattogram with 186, Rajshahi with 106, and Khulna with 84. Among metropolitan regions, the Dhaka metropolitan area recorded the highest count with 57 murder cases.

What Is Driving the Violence

Analysts cited by Bangladesh's The Daily Star point to a convergence of structural failures: the proliferation of illegal firearms, weakened policing capacity, and the re-emergence of notorious gang leaders — some released from prison, others returning from abroad — following the political changeover of August 2024. Political rivalries, they argue, have increasingly weaponised street gangs as instruments of factional power, resulting in brazen targeted attacks in broad daylight.

Omar Faruk, a professor in the department of criminology and police science at Mawlana Bhashani Science and Technology University in Tangail district, was direct in his criticism. 'The law and order situation has not yet reached the level we had expected,' he said, pointing to the absence of meaningful reforms within law enforcement agencies. Faruk further alleged that authorities have failed to recover more than 1,000 weapons reported missing from police stations, while illegal arms smuggling continues unchecked.

Impunity and Political Patronage

Faruk alleged that many criminals released after 5 August 2024 remain armed and continue criminal activities under political patronage. He said law enforcement's lenient posture has emboldened offenders who believe they can act with impunity, and alleged links between these individuals and influential figures at senior levels — though he did not name them specifically.

Law enforcement officials corroborated the broader pattern, noting that violence intensified following the political changeover as several convicted offenders and gang leaders returned to circulation either through prison releases or re-entry from abroad.

Citizens and Experts Sound the Alarm

Khairul Hasan, a resident of Mohammadpur in Dhaka, reflected the public mood. 'We don't feel safe. Killings, shootings, and muggings have become alarmingly frequent. People expect safety and security, but it appears the law-and-order situation has not improved despite repeated assurances,' he was quoted as saying by The Daily Star.

The continued incidence of murders and violent crime has sharpened public anxiety about personal safety and the state's capacity to maintain order. With no immediate policy response announced, the pressure on the BNP-led administration to demonstrate credible action is mounting.