A Chhatra League activist was subjected to a brutal assault in Sonagazi Upazila, Feni district, Bangladesh, in what is being condemned as a politically motivated act of terror.
Firoz, Vice President of the Char Majlishpur Union Chhatra League, was ambushed at his residence while attending to his ailing mother.
Reports implicate members of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) in the attack. Witnesses allege that assailants used a drill on his legs and forcibly inserted metal rods, leaving him with life-threatening injuries. He also sustained severe chest trauma, while his mother was reportedly assaulted. Currently in intensive care (ICU), his condition remains critical.
The incident has sparked outrage, with critics accusing opposition forces of escalating political violence through barbaric tactics.
Escalation of Political Violence
The assault on Firoz comes against the backdrop of intensifying political violence in Bangladesh following the removal of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in August 2024. Tensions between political factions have resulted in a spate of attacks and reprisals across the country.
Last week, BNP leader Mohammad Babul Mia was beaten to death, prompting outrage among opposition ranks. BNP’s senior leader, Shamsuzzaman Dudu, alleged that the interim government was enabling targeted violence against political adversaries. “If justice is not ensured, public dissatisfaction will only deepen,” he cautioned.
Educational institutions have also been affected, with violent clashes at Khulna University of Engineering and Technology (KUET) earlier this month leaving over 100 students injured, further exacerbating concerns about campus safety.
UN Report Highlights Surge in Communal Attacks
A recent report by the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights has highlighted a rise in communal violence since mid-2024, particularly against Hindu minorities. The report points to a series of mob-led assaults, arson attacks, and retaliatory killings that escalated in the aftermath of the Hasina administration’s fall.
Hindus, who constitute approximately 8% of Bangladesh’s 17-crore population, have faced targeted attacks, including incidents of arson and temple desecration. The UN report also noted that members of the Awami League and law enforcement personnel had been attacked during the period of unrest.
Despite calls from the international community to address the violence, the attacks continue. In December 2024, the interim administration led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus acknowledged 88 incidents of religious violence, primarily against Hindus, and confirmed the arrest of 70 individuals. India’s Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri has urged the Bangladesh government to ensure the safety of its minority communities, though Dhaka has downplayed the sectarian nature of the attacks.
The situation remains tense, with the recent arrest of Chinmoy Krishna Das, a former leader of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON), further fueling protests. Das, who remains in custody after being denied bail last month, has become a focal point for demonstrations demanding greater religious protections.
Mob Justice on the Rise
In addition to political and communal violence, Bangladesh is witnessing a surge in vigilante justice. On Monday night, two men accused of mugging were reportedly beaten and suspended upside down from a foot overbridge in Dhaka’s Uttara by an irate crowd. According to Uttara East Police Station Officer-in-Charge Shamim Ahmed, both men remain in critical condition.
In another incident on the same night, a 22-year-old man accused of mobile phone theft was lynched by locals in Tongi. Police recovered the body but have yet to confirm his identity or make any arrests.
Dhaka Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sheikh Md Sazzat Ali has urged citizens to refrain from taking the law into their own hands, stressing that crime suspects must be handed over to law enforcement agencies.
Rising Crime in 2025
Crime statistics for January 2025 indicate a sharp uptick in criminal activities across Bangladesh. Compared to the same period in 2024:
- Cases of women and child abuse surged from 1,043 to 1,440
- Incidents of theft increased from 749 to 797
- Burglaries rose from 228 to 262
- Murders jumped from 232 to 294
- Robberies nearly doubled, rising from 114 to 171
- Kidnapping cases more than doubled, increasing from 51 to 105
In the past two months alone, at least 23 shootout incidents have been recorded nationwide.
Human rights activist Abu Ahmed Faijul Kabir warned that Bangladesh is witnessing a steady descent into lawlessness. “A climate of fear has taken hold of the country. The alarming rise in daylight murders, mob attacks, and politically motivated killings points to a faltering law enforcement system,” he observed.
As violence and crime continue to escalate, the interim government faces mounting pressure to restore stability before the country’s security crisis deepens further.
