The number of murder cases recorded across Bangladesh has remained high, raising fresh concerns over public safety and the overall law-and-order situation. According to an analysis of Police Headquarters statistics, 298 murder cases were recorded across the country in July. The figure was 326 in June and 310 in May. Together, the three months accounted for 934 registered murder cases, averaging about 311 cases a month.
From January to July this year, 2,076 murder cases were registered nationwide. There were 287 cases in January, 250 in February, 317 in March and 288 in April. The figures for May, June and July were 310, 326 and 298 respectively. The seven-month average was around 296 cases a month.
The statistics have come against the backdrop of a series of killings in different parts of the country. On Sunday, five people were killed in separate incidents in Bagerhat, Faridpur, Ishwardi in Pabna, Jamalpur and Jhenaidah.
The previous night, the bodies of four members of the same family were recovered from the second floor of a house in Machhuapara in the Kamal Kachna area of Rangpur city. The victims were former Rangpur Zilla School teacher Ganapati Chakraborty, his wife and their two children. Police said the family may have been deliberately killed after objecting to drug use. The incident has caused considerable concern among the victims’ relatives.
Experts say there is no single explanation for the rise in killings. Targeted attacks, disputes within organised criminal groups, political conflicts, activities of known local criminals, disputes linked to drugs, youth gangs, group rivalries, land disputes, killings following violence against women and children, and family or social conflicts have all contributed to the problem.
The use of firearms in a number of incidents has also brought the issue of illegal weapons back into focus. An analysis of available information found that 123 shooting incidents occurred across the country during the first seven months of the year, leaving 59 people dead.
The continued presence of unreturned weapons is another concern. A total of 1,311 firearms looted from police custody or during earlier incidents have yet to be recovered, including 109 Chinese rifles and 30 submachine guns. Police have also been unable to recover 257,125 rounds of ammunition. Law-enforcement officials are concerned that criminal networks may also possess other modern illegal firearms.
Dhaka records the highest number among metropolitan areas
Murder figures in the capital have shown an upward trend over the past three months. Police Headquarters data show that 31 murder cases were recorded in Dhaka in July, compared with 23 in June and 16 in May. That brought the three-month total to 70.
In July, Chattogram Metropolitan Area recorded four murder cases, Khulna three, Rajshahi one, Sylhet five and Gazipur seven. No murder cases were recorded in Barishal and Rangpur metropolitan areas during the month.
Among police ranges, Dhaka recorded the highest number in July, with 66 cases, followed by Chattogram with 54. Khulna recorded 29, Mymensingh 27, Rajshahi 24, Rangpur 18, Sylhet 15 and Barishal 14.
Over May, June and July, Dhaka Range recorded 212 murder cases, while Chattogram Range recorded 192. Khulna Range recorded 85 during the same period. Khulna Metropolitan Area accounted for nine cases and Chattogram Metropolitan Area for 14.
The figures show that the burden is not evenly distributed across the country. Several areas, particularly Dhaka, Chattogram and parts of the south-western region, continue to experience a significant number of killings.
Comparison with previous years
Police statistics also show that the number of murder cases varies considerably from month to month, partly because cases relating to earlier incidents may be registered later.
In July 2025, a total of 362 murder cases were registered, including 90 relating to earlier killings. On that basis, the number of cases relating to actual killings during the month was 272. In June, there were 344 cases in total, of which 95 related to earlier incidents, leaving 249 cases connected to killings during that month. In May, 341 cases were registered, including 80 relating to earlier incidents, resulting in 261 cases connected to killings during the month.
Thus, the number of cases connected to actual killings between May and July 2025 stood at 782, averaging around 260 a month.
In 2024, the figures for May, June and July were 259, 268 and 334 respectively, making a three-month total of 861 cases and an average of 287 per month.
The monthly figures for 2024 were 231 in January, 240 in February, 239 in March, 296 in April, 259 in May, 268 in June, 334 in July, 626 in August, 283 in September, 249 in October, 211 in November and 204 in December. Of the 626 cases recorded in August, 158 related to earlier offences committed between 2009 and 2024.
The year 2023 recorded 3,023 murder cases, averaging about 251 a month. Between May and July of that year, 814 cases were recorded, an average of around 271 per month.
Political conflict remains a factor
Political disputes and struggles for local dominance have also been identified as significant factors behind some killings.
According to figures from Ain o Salish Kendra, around 400 incidents of small and large-scale conflict linked to political disputes occurred between January and July this year. Seventy-seven people were killed in those incidents, including 40 who died in attacks or shootings by criminal groups.
Officials and observers have also linked the current law-and-order challenges to the disruption experienced by law-enforcement agencies following the political change on 5 August 2024. Transfers, attachments, fears of losing employment, criminal cases and accusations on social media have reportedly created uncertainty among some officers. In some cases, officers have also faced obstacles while attempting to enforce the law.
Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed, speaking to journalists after a meeting at the Secretariat on 17 August, said there had been visible improvement in the law-and-order situation over the previous six months, or 180 days. He also said the public would ultimately judge whether the improvement was satisfactory and that some time was needed to strengthen the situation further in line with public expectations.
Criminal networks and old rivalries
Law-enforcement officials have also raised concerns over the activities of established criminal figures. They said several prominent criminals and known offenders were released on bail following the political change in 2024, while some others returned to Bangladesh from abroad. Some are believed to have remained in the country, while others subsequently left again.
Officials said some criminal figures had become active in attempts to regain control over areas or settle old disputes.
On 28 April, Khandaker Naim Ahmed Titon, brother-in-law of alleged top criminal figure Sanzidul Islam Emon, was shot dead in the New Market area of Dhaka. His relatives accused another alleged criminal figure, Helal, of involvement. Helal, however, made a counter-allegation that Emon’s associates were responsible.
On 10 November, another alleged top criminal figure, Tariq Saif Mamun, was shot dead near the Dhaka court area.
Recent incidents in Khulna have also highlighted the continuing problem. On 20 August, police recovered the body of an unidentified woman from a river in Batiaghata. That same night, a female student was found inside a school bathroom in Dighalia, several hours after the school had closed, with her hands, feet and mouth tied.
On 19 August, a double murder was reported in Lobonchara. Two young men were shot dead in Ashibigha within a period of only two hours. On 18 August, a 26-year-old man named Raju was killed in a mob attack in the Rayermohol area after being accused of attempting to abduct a child. On 15 August, 27-year-old Joy Dhali was allegedly killed by attackers who cut his throat and assaulted him with sharp weapons. On 11 August, 32-year-old Fakhrul Sheikh was shot dead at a brick kiln.
Brutal killing of young woman raises concern
Another case that has drawn attention involved the discovery of a woman’s dismembered remains in the capital.
On 6 August, police recovered a severed head and two hands wrapped in polythene from beneath a bridge near a cattle farm in the Bagna Bari culvert area under Sabujbagh Police Station. With the help of technology, investigators later identified the woman as 19-year-old Chhuraia Akter, also known as Falani.
Her parents confirmed her identity after seeing photographs of the severed head and tattoos on her hands. Police subsequently arrested five people in connection with the case.
South-western region remains a concern
Additional Inspector General Khondkar Rafiqul Islam said killings were occurring at higher levels in parts of the south-western region, including Khulna and Chattogram. According to him, hired killers, extremist groups and gangs associated with the Sundarbans have been linked to some incidents. Political struggles for local dominance have also contributed to violence in certain areas.
He said most of the killings that had occurred had been investigated and suspects arrested. He added that crime review meetings regularly discuss ways of reducing serious offences such as murder, with instructions issued to field-level officers.
The overall statistics nevertheless suggest that killings remain a serious law-and-order concern. While the circumstances vary from case to case, the continuing number of murders points to several overlapping challenges, including illegal firearms, criminal networks, political and local rivalries, drug-related disputes and personal conflicts.
For law-enforcement agencies, the challenge is therefore not limited to investigating killings after they occur. Preventing access to illegal weapons, monitoring known criminal networks, addressing local conflicts before they escalate and strengthening policing at the community level are equally important to reducing the number of violent deaths.
