Three deaths so soon after an otherwise largely peaceful election are a grim reminder that Bangladesh’s toxic political culture has not disappeared. At a moment when the nation should be looking ahead to a newly elected government and a vibrant parliament, violence has once again cast a shadow over democratic hopes. On Friday, 30-year-old Md Jasim Nayeb was killed in a clash between rival factions in Munshiganj. He had supported an independent candidate expelled from the BNP. In a separate incident in Chapainawabganj, two people were killed and three others injured when a crude bomb exploded inside a house, blowing off its tin roof and leaving bodies charred. On Saturday, a clash between local BNP and Jamaat supporters left several people injured.
There have also been reports of Jamaat-BNP clashes in various districts which left people injured and properties destroyed. Though isolated, these incidents reveal how quickly political tensions can escalate. The Chapainawabganj blast is still under investigation; whether accidental or deliberate, it exposes a disturbing reality: that crude but lethal explosives and illegal firearms remain in circulation, and can be used to target opponents or spread fear.
An investigation by Prothom Alo found that illegal arms are entering via at least 30 points along the Bangladesh–India and Bangladesh-Myanmar borders. Authorities believe many of these weapons were brought in to fuel election violence. Their interception no doubt helped prevent wider violence during polling. Yet, numerous illegal firearms, along with weapons looted from police stations after the July uprising, remain unaccounted for. In the wrong hands, they pose a continuing threat.
The deeper concern is cultural. Bangladesh’s entrenched politics of revenge and retaliation must end. Between September 2024 and January 2026, at least 195 people were killed and 11,229 injured in political violence nationwide, according to the Human Rights Support Society (HRSS). During that period, internal feuds within the BNP and its affiliates reportedly led to 121 deaths and 7,131 injuries. Activists across party lines have fallen victim to unidentified assailants. Inquilab Moncho leader Sharif Osman Hadi, an independent candidate, was fatally shot in broad daylight on December 12 last year, with two suspects reportedly fleeing across the border.
These frightening statistics demand introspection. As a new government prepares to take office and a parliament reconvenes, we urge all political parties to remember the spirit and unity of the July uprising, which they are morally committed to. To do that, they must cleanse their parties from within and remove all criminal elements. BNP and Jamaat must immediately take exemplary actions against members responsible for any kind of violence and criminal behaviour. Leaders bear responsibility not only for strategy but also for creating a culture of restraint, tolerance, and respect—both within their ranks and towards opponents. Political disagreement must be played out through vigorous debates in parliament, not through bitter clashes that turn violent and deadly.
