No fewer than 6,401 people fell victim to political violence between January and September this year, reveals a new study.
Of them, 70 people died, with the rest receiving injuries of different types, it said, adding that seven of the deaths occurred at the hands of law enforcers.
A staggering 63 of the deaths have resulted from the ruling party's factional feud and clashes between the Awami League and the BNP.
Additionally, 93 people died in police custody from January to November, according to research published in a seminar, titled "Concept and Reality of Human Rights: Bangladesh and Global Context".
The rights group, the Centre of Human Rights and Legal Research (CHRLR), organized the event at the National Press Club in Dhaka on Friday. The chief of the CHRLR's research wing, Muhamad Shafiqur Rahman, presided over the event.
Unveiling the findings, AKM Badruddoza, a lawyer practicing at the Supreme Court, said that 121 people died while 7,467 were injured last year.
Moreover, 2,356 girls and women faced gender-based violence, including rape, in 2022, when 1,415 children were tortured.
The lawyer went on to say that 253 journalists were subjected to various kinds of torture and harassment last year.
"Two journalists were killed, five were arrested, 43 were threatened with dire consequences, 165 were injured, and 38 were assaulted," he said.
Badruddoza said 12 Hindu temples, 16 Hindu houses, and 43 idols were attacked last year.
"Forty-eight people from religious minority groups were injured in 2022," he said.
Addressing the event as the chief guest, Md Abdul Matin, a retired apex court judge, said: "We have many laws on human rights that are being randomly defied."
On a separate note, he said: "We think that democracy could be established through elections. But that is not the fact precisely. We need to get rid of the (worsening) situation."
