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The country has yet to see improvements in the overall state of law and order plummeting since Sheikh Hasina’s ouster in a mass uprising followed by the Professor Muhammad Yunus-led interim government taking over on August 8 past year.

Incidents of violent crimes have seen an alarming rise amid a situation when the members of the law enforcement agencies have yet to recover their full capacity to perform after a period of turmoil they underwent, starting from the July student-mass uprising into the aftermath of Hasina’s overthrow.

While violent crimes, including robberies, political violence, murders, mob violence and extortions, have soared, law enforcement personnel are facing allegations that they are giving the cold shoulder to the victims and often remain indifferent to the rise of violent crimes. 

Former police officials blamed the deeply eroded confidence among the law enforcers and a lack of promptness in taking policy measures to reorganise these agencies and restore the personnel’s confidence. 

They said that after the changeover till now the police were not able to begin work even at 25 per cent of their capacity.  

Robberies saw an increase as 1,412 cases were reported in 2024 against 1,227 in 2023, according to the Police Headquarters latest crime data.

The data shows 628 robbery incidents were reported between August and December in 2024 with 159 in December alone against 496 during the timeframe in 2023.

Former inspector general of police Nurul Huda, however, declined to call the situation alarming, while remarking that the actual number of violent crimes would be higher. He also put the current alleged lack of capacity of the force largely down to a massive reshuffle carried out following the interim government’s ascent to power.

‘A massive reshuffle in the police force occurred after August 5. Many of the personnel are still settling in their new postings with getting acquainted with their jurisdictions and local people. I also think that the number of crime is higher than the statistics, but we cannot call it alarming,’ Nurul added. 

On January 19, the Dhaka Metropolitan Police suspended Gulshan police officer-in-charge Touhid Ahmed allegedly for delaying to record a robbery case.

Touhid Ahmed was suspended and attached to Rajarbagh Police Lines and Kadamtali police officer-in-charge Mahmudur Rahaman took charge of the Gulshan police.

Victim trader Jashim Uddin filed a case with the Gulshan police against 10–12 unnamed people on January 18 evening, alleging that they looted over Tk 2.74 crore valuables, including Tk 46.50 lakh cash, from his home in an impersonation incident.

The case documents showed that one of the robbers impersonated himself as a Bangladesh Army major named Mamun working in the Directorate General of Forces Intelligence.

On Tuesday, a Dhaka metropolitan magistrate court placed a trader named Saiful Islam, 42, on five-day police remand in the case.

Current Gulshan police officer-in-charge Mahmudur said that they were investigating into the case.

On January 13, Anowara Begum, a 55-year old woman was stabbed by masked robbers who broke in her home that evening in Savar township, on the outskirts of Dhaka city.

The robbers entered the house when Anowara was alone at home, swooped on her and looted four bhari of gold, Tk 2,00,000 and other belongings, said her family members.

Injured Anowara was taken to a nearby hospital for treatment with her family filed a complaint with the Savar Model Police.

‘My mother was alone when the incident took place. Robbers wearing masks entered our house and tied my mother’s hands and blindfolded her. They stabbed her on her head, hands and legs,’ victim’s daughter Taslima Akter told ¶¶Òõ¾«Æ· on January 14.

She said that they filed a general diary in this connection hours after the incident.

On October 12 past year, 25–30 men in Bangladesh Army and Rapid Action Battalion uniforms looted Tk 75.50 lakh in cash, 70 bhari gold, two iPhones, and one android mobile phone on a third-floor apartment of a five-storey building in the Swapnanir Housing area of Mohammadpur from about 3:30am to about 4:10am.

At least 11 people, including five former members of law enforcement agencies and army, were arrested in the incident.

RAB legal and media wing director Lieutenant Colonel Munim Ferdous said that three former RAB members were involved in the robbery and they were now in jail.

A total of 1,565 murder cases were filed between August and December in 2024 against 1,199 cases during the timeframe in 2023.

Kidnapping also saw an increase as 642 incidents were recorded across the country in 2024 against 463 in 2023, said the police headquarters data, adding that at least 326 kidnapping cases were filed from August to December in 2024 with 74 in December alone against 229 kidnapping cases were filed in the last five months in 2023. 

On the December 23, 2024 evening, an IX grader schoolgirl was kidnapped from her house at Hatibandha upazila in Lalmonirhat. Five days later the victim’s mother filed a case with the Hatibandha police.

On January 16, the RAB arrested Md Sohag Mian, 20, who absconded after being accused in previous cases, and rescued the kidnapped girl from the Kaliakoir upazila in Gazipur.

Hatibandha police officer-in-charge Md Mahamudunnabi told ¶¶Òõ¾«Æ· that Md Sohag Mian and two others were accused in the case with prime accused Sohag detained in jail.

Rights group Ain O Salish Kendra data shows that 128 people were killed in mob beating in 2024. Of them 57 were killed in Dhaka city only. ASK reported 51 deaths from mob beating in 2023.

A total of 401 rape incidents were reported in 2024 while 34 were killed after being raped and seven committed suicide, according to the ASK data. The organisation reported 574 rape incidents in 2023.

The ASK data also shows that at least 100 people were killed and 6,190 were injured in political violence in 2024, while 45 people were killed and 6,978 were injured in political violence in 2023.

Police headquarters, however, reported fewer incidents of theft in 2024 with 8,655 cases being filed against 9,475 in 2023. 

The force’s assistant inspector general of police for media and public relations Enamul Haque Sagar told ¶¶Òõ¾«Æ· that they had taken action in most cases, admitting that some types of crimes were on the rise. 

‘We have increased patrols and deployed more members to tackle crimes. Some crimes are increasing and some are decreasing. That’s the trend of crimes,’ Enamul added.

An 11-year-old girl, who used to live in the streets near the Shahbagh metro rail station in the capital, was raped on January 15 under the metro rail station.

Accused Rayhan, 19, was arrested in the case filed with the Shahbagh police after the incident, while the police rescued the victim in a bloody condition from the spot and took her to Dhaka Medical College Hospital.

On December 19, 2024, three youths were detained after law enforcers foiled a robbery attempt in broad daylight at the Jinjira branch of Rupali Bank in Keraniganj upazila of Dhaka.

On January 13, a sacked police member was arrested from a spot under the Hatirjheel police allegedly for mugging.

Police Headquarters officials said that 450 out of 664 police stations were attacked, vandalised and set on fire across the country, following the downfall of the Hasina government.

Around 1,000 vehicles were damaged, many among them completely destroyed.   

Remarking that restoring law and order would take time, former inspector general of police Abdul Quiyium said that the force could not even restore 25 per cent of their capacity and operations.

‘Members of the police are still in trauma after killing people during the student- mass uprising. The government also lacks in policy in this regard. Restoring the law and order will take time,’ he said.