Before the February election, the BNP vowed to restore law and order and ensure public safety if voted to office. In its first cabinet meeting on February 18, chaired by Prime Minister Tarique Rahman, the new government reaffirmed that stabilising law and order would be among its top priorities.
Yet, more than three months into office, the country has yet to see the level of improvement many had expected, experts say.
Violent crimes including murder, rape, extortion, mob attack, and kidnap in different parts of the country continue to cause public concern. Law enforcement agencies, meanwhile, still struggle to rebuild public trust after the political transition, they add.
The BNP came to power in February after 17 months of the Prof Muhammad Yunus-led interim government. The Human Rights Support Society (HRSS) described the rights situation during the interim period as alarming.
Although the BNP government has launched several anti-crime drives since taking office, it has yet to deliver visible improvements or send a strong message to restore public confidence, experts and analysts say.
In recent weeks, a series of brutal killings, rapes and attacks on law enforcers has renewed concerns over public safety.
In one of the most brutal incidents, eight-year-old Ramisa Akter was raped and murdered in Dhaka’s Pallabi on May 19, sparking nationwide outrage. Prime suspect Sohel Rana has since been arrested and charged with rape and murder.
Other gang-style and politically linked killings in Dhaka and Chattogram as well as murders allegedly committed by family members and acquaintances have also been reported from across the country.
The overall crime data for March and April 2026 also paint a troubling picture compared with the corresponding months in 2024 and 2025.
According to Police Headquarters (PHQ) data, murder increased in 2026 compared with the same two months in the previous two years. Robbery rose in 2025, declined marginally in 2026, but remained higher than in 2024.
Women and child repression peaked in 2025 and fell in 2026, though it still exceeded the 2024 levels. A similar pattern was observed in assaults on police, which increased in 2025, dipped slightly in 2026, yet remained above 2024 figures.
During the interim government tenure, mob violence reached such a level that state forces failed to take adequate action. After assuming office in February, Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed repeatedly spoke strongly against “mob culture.”
However, mob violence remains frequent. According to HRSS, at least 71 people have been killed in 132 mob-related incidents in the first four months of 2026. Of them, 35 were killed in 69 incidents in March and April alone.
After the BNP government took office, the ruling party-linked extortion groups, criminal networks, and politically connected actors began competing for control over markets, transport hubs, land, and business centres, with allegations against party members frequently making headlines.
The government later prepared nationwide lists of criminals and extortionists and launched drives to restore law and order, but the efforts have yet to yield visible results.
Rights activist Nur Khan Liton said that although nearly 100 days have passed since the new government assumed office, there is little visible improvement in the overall law and order situation.
“People initially expected that the situation, especially law and order, would improve after the government took charge. But mob violence, torture, and killings by organised groups are still taking place,” he said.
The weaknesses that emerged in the policing system after August 5 have yet to be addressed, he said, noting that 100 days is still too short for a government to fully stabilise the situation.
Additional Inspector General of Police (Crime and Operations) Khondkar Rafiqul Islam admitted that major crimes are taking place despite various policing initiatives.
“It is extremely regrettable that recent incidents could not be prevented. We are making efforts, and the main suspects in several incidents have been arrested,” he said.
He added that law enforcement agencies are conducting nationwide drives against drug dealers and extortionists. “I hope the situation will improve in a short time.”
Prof Omar Faruk of the Department of Criminology and Police Science at Mawlana Bhashani Science and Technology University said police force is still struggling with institutional instability caused by reshuffles, low morale, and the aftereffects of the political transition, limiting their effectiveness.
“The level of focus and measures people expected after the formation of the new government are not yet visible,” he told The Daily Star.
He also pointed to the gaps in training, surveillance, and intelligence gathering, which create a favourable environment for crimes.
According to him, political will is key to address this. “Without strong commitment, it is difficult to bring meaningful changes,” he said.
[Note: This report did not consider crime data for February as the BNP government took office in the middle of that month. PHQ crime data for May was not available at the time of publication.]
