B'desh: Awami League slams Yunus over deteriorating law and order, surge in crime

Dhaka, July 15 (IANS) Awami League slammed the Chief Advisor of the Bangladesh interim government, Muhammad Yunus, on Tuesday, pointing out the rising crime rate in the country, which includes a troubling increase in brutal murders, rapes, mob lynching, extortion, and land grabs.  

This surge in crime rate, according to the party, has been particularly notable since the ousting of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

The party mentioned a chilling murder in Bhaluka upazila in Mymensingh district, where the police have found the slit-throated bodies of a mother, Moyna Begum aged 25, and her two children -- seven year old Raisa, and two year old Nirab, adding that the horrific incident has left the community in shock and fear.

"Yet, shockingly, interim government chief advisor Muhammad Yunus claims there is 'no deterioration in the law and order situation' in Bangladesh," the Awami League stated.

"As brutal murders, rapes, mob lynching, extortion, and land grabs surge across the country, citizens are left vulnerable and terrified. Rights groups warn that the government's denial only deepens the crisis, allowing violence to flourish and justice to remain out of reach," the party added.

Meanwhile, according to an analysis of Bangladesh's leading daily Prothom Alo, crime statistics from the Police Headquarters provided by the Chief Advisor's Press Wing on Monday revealed a sharp rise in murder cases from January to June 2025.

In January, 294 cases were reported, while in February, it increased to 300. In March, there were 316 murders, 338 in April, and 341 in May. Additionally, in June, there were 344 murder cases.

Recently, the brutal murder of a 43-year-old scrap trader, Lal Chand Sohag, in Dhaka over an extortion case has not only shocked Bangladeshis but also several people around the world, who have slammed the Muhammad Yunus-led interim government for the sheer lawlessness that currently prevails in the South Asian country.

Lal Chand was lynched to death by a group of people affiliated with the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), who later danced on his body, according to the media reports.

The accused hit him with stones and beat him mercilessly after stripping him naked, causing severe injuries to his head and other parts of his body.

Last month, another incident of violence shocked the nation, where a Hindu woman was brutally gang raped at her home in the Cumilla district.

The woman was assaulted while her attackers, who were linked to the BNP, filmed the assault and circulated the footage.

Despite the surge in violence in Bangladesh, Chief Advisor Yunus took to his social media, claiming that major violent crime figures show no significant rise.

"Recent media reports indicate a sharp rise in crimes this year, fuelling fear and insecurity among citizens. Based on the official crime statistics from September 2024 to June 2025, the claim that crime is sharply rising this year is not completely supported by the data. In fact, the data reveals stabilisation in major crime categories over the past 10 months," the Chief Advisor mentioned.

Yunus dismissed the media reports raising concerns about the crime rate, stating that "only a few categories of crime have increased."

"These are not the hallmarks of a crime wave; in fact, some of the most serious crimes are either declining or stable. Only a few crime categories have increased. Citizens should remain vigilant but also trust that law enforcement is maintaining control, as reflected by relatively stable crime trends," he added.

Since the Yunus-led interim government took power in Bangladesh in August 2024, there have been numerous unprovoked and violent attacks against journalists, police officers, minorities and those connected with the Awami League party.

There are allegations of killings, arbitrary imprisonment on false criminal charges, particularly of journalists, unchecked mob violence, and incitement of religious violence, such as attacks on Bangladeshi Hindus and the destruction of Hindu temples. No steps have yet been taken in Bangladesh to hold the perpetrators of these allegations to account.

--IANS

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