Incidents of murder, mugging, and robbery have surged across the country, particularly in the capital, Dhaka, creating a severe law and order crisis.
As soon as evening falls, fear spreads among the public. Theft and robbery have become routine occurrences with increased number of murder cases.
Special operations by joint forces and the proactive efforts of RAB and police have failed to yield results.
AIG (Media) Inamul Haque Sagar, spokesperson for police headquarters, said: "In every incident, the police are responding quickly. Suspects are being arrested and handed over to the court for trial. At the same time, patrolling and vigilance have been increased for proactive policing. Intelligence surveillance has also been intensified. Police are active throughout the country."
Increase in murders
In July and August this year, the country experienced political instability.
Excessive force used by law enforcement to suppress the movement until August 5 resulted in an unusually high number of deaths.
While murder cases decreased from September onward, they remained higher compared to previous years.
In September 2024, 583 people were murdered nationwide, 399 in October, and 337 in November.
In contrast, during the same months in 2023, the figures were 238, 258, and 227, respectively.
In Dhaka, 55 murder cases were filed in November 2024, 57 in October, and 148 in September, compared to 17, 19, and 12 cases during the same months in 2023.
However, DMP spokesperson DC Media Mohammad Talebur Rahman reported that in November 2024, 27 murders occurred in the capital, with 21 in October and 47 in September.
Another DMP official mentioned that police headquarters' statistics are based on cases filed. Some older incidents led to murder cases being filed after the student-public movement, which inflated the headquarters' records.
Nonetheless, there is an increase in murder cases recently. Many incidents occurred in December alone.
Muggings in Dhaka's alleys
On Wednesday, in the evening, Hasib was returning home from a coaching center along Sheikhertak Road No. 6 in Mohammadpur.
Four muggers held him at knifepoint and snatched his mobile phone and wallet.
Despite people being nearby, no one came forward to help, and the muggers even beat him before leaving.
Hasib recounted that the muggers suddenly held a machete to his stomach and took his belongings.
On Monday, around 11pm, multiple cars were stuck in traffic near Asad Gate.
Of them, three youths with machetes were wandering, searching for targets. At one point, they snatched a mobile phone through a car window and left. A man named Mazharul Islam Mohsin filmed this scene and posted it on social media.
On December 11, late at night, journalist Asaduzzaman was attacked on Mazar Road in Darussalam while returning home.
Three youths armed with sharp weapons attacked him as soon as he entered the alley after getting out of his office car. He managed to fight them off and escape.
Asaduzzaman said that muggers typically demand money and mobile phones, but in his case, the attack was sudden, and he could not determine if they were muggers or had another motive.
On December 13, near Baldha Garden in Old Dhaka, Jahid Hasan, a journalist from Ekhon TV, was mugged in broad daylight.
According to sources, Dhaka has become a haven for muggers. Armed with sharp weapons, muggers wait in alleys to target solitary individuals, sometime even in broad daylight.
Dhaka Metropolitan Police's Additional Commissioner (DB) Rezaul Karim Mallik said: "We are conducting regular operations against mugging. Our intelligence activities and arrest operations are ongoing in every area of the capital."
DMP's Deputy Commissioner (Media) Mohammad Talebur Rahman said, "We are interrogating arrested muggers to gather information about their accomplices. We are also gathering information about professional muggers who were previously arrested or had cases filed against them and were released from jail."
Police reluctance to file cases
Despite instructions from the Dhaka police commissioner to ensure that no complainant returns without assistance and to respond within an hour of recording a General Diary (GD), some police stations are still hesitant to register mugging incidents as cases.
On Wednesday, Hasib, who was mugged in Sheikhertak, went to the Adabor police station.
The police advised him to file a GD instead of a case. Similarly, journalist Asaduzzaman reported that Darussalam Police Station recorded his complaint but did not register it as a case, citing an ongoing investigation.
DMP spokesperson Mohammad Talebur Rahman said: "This should not be happening. There are directives to register cases for all significant crimes, including muggings."
However, a police officer, speaking anonymously, said: "Police are reluctant to register cases because stations with higher case numbers face greater accountability. This is an old habit, and it won’t change overnight. Nonetheless, police stations must register cases for every significant crime."