GAZIPUR, Bangladesh — A journalist was hacked to death in broad daylight on Thursday, just hours after reporting on alleged extortion by local gangs in Gazipur’s Chandana Chowrasta area, in a killing that has sparked fresh concerns over rising violence and media suppression in the country.
Md Asaduzzaman Tuhin, a staff reporter for the daily Protidiner Kagoj, had gone live on Facebook that afternoon, broadcasting from the sidewalk near Joydebpur Rail Gate. In his post, he criticized municipal authorities for failing to repair a damaged drainage system that, he said, was causing widespread damage to public infrastructure.
Later that day, he posted a video condemning the absence of traffic enforcement in the area.
Within thirty minutes, five to six assailants armed with machetes ambushed him in Chandana Chowrasta. Tuhin ran for shelter into a nearby tea stall in Eidgaon Market, but the attackers followed and hacked him to death inside the shop.
Bystanders recorded the grisly killing on their phones but did not intervene. Videos of the attack later circulated widely on social media, drawing public outrage.
“The victim ran into my shop,” said Khairul Islam, a local businessman. “Three men stormed in and killed him. Two others stood guard outside. When I tried to intervene, they threatened to kill me too.”
Police officials said they have obtained video footage and are pursuing leads. “It is deeply tragic,” said Rabiul Hasan, a deputy commissioner of Gazipur Metropolitan Police. “We are working to identify and arrest those responsible.”
Tuhin’s killing comes amid a sharp increase in violent crime across Bangladesh, stoking fears that the country’s interim government—widely criticized as unconstitutional and backed by Jamaat-e-Islami and other hardline groups—is failing to maintain law and order.
11 Murders a Day: Violence Surges Under Interim Government
According to police statistics, an average of 11 people are murdered each day in Bangladesh—a rate that has steadily climbed since the start of the year.
From January to June 2025, 1,930 people were killed. Murders rose from 294 in January to 343 in June, the highest monthly toll so far this year. The increase has been most acute in Dhaka and Chattogram divisions.
Rights group Ain o Salish Kendra (ASK) reported 187 mob killings between August 2024 and June 2025, including 96 in the last five months of 2024 and 89 in the first half of this year. In addition, 65 people were killed in political clashes from January to June.
Meanwhile, 15 people died in police custody or through extrajudicial means, and 42 others died in prison.
Children have not been spared. From January to June, 220 minors were killed—46 through torture and 14 following sexual assault. Of the 441 women and girls raped during that period, 228 were under 18.
Last month, the viral video of a rape survivor triggered national outrage but also highlighted a grim reality: fear of retaliation is silencing victims and witnesses alike.
Crime, Impunity, and the Shadow of Militancy
Observers warn that criminal networks with alleged ties to the ruling coalition are operating with near impunity. Law enforcement agencies, critics say, have either turned a blind eye or are unable to contain the growing wave of violence.
The brutal public lynching of Shohag, a scrap metal trader, near Mitford Hospital in Old Dhaka has been linked to extortion by militant-linked groups. In Jhenaidah’s Kaliganj Upazila, two BNP activists were killed in a clash between rival party factions. Police suspect militant elements may be exploiting political rivalries to expand their influence.
On July 11, Mahbubur Rahman Molla, a former youth leader, was killed outside his home. His leg veins were severed after being shot. Police acknowledged the murder was related to turf wars but declined to comment on alleged militant involvement.
In another incident on July 3, a mother, daughter, and son were killed by a mob in a village. Authorities say mob justice and vigilantism are increasingly being used to settle personal or political scores.
Between January and June, 366 robbery cases were filed across the country. Only a fraction of the suspects have been arrested—and even fewer have been convicted.
Mounting Criticism
The interim government, led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus, has denied any significant spike in crime. Following a Bonik Barta report quoting police headquarters, Yunus’ office presented alternative data to argue that violent crime remains stable.
Critics, however, say the figures and the daily bloodshed tell a different story.
“There’s a climate of fear,” said a Dhaka-based rights activist who requested anonymity. “From political killings to rape, the state is either indifferent or complicit. And people are too afraid to speak out.”
Security experts warn that failure to act decisively now could open the door to deeper unrest, especially with militant groups reportedly exploiting the lawlessness to tighten their grip on local communities.
Despite mounting evidence, the government has yet to outline a credible plan to address the escalating violence—leaving a nation increasingly engulfed in fear, silence, and bloodshed.
