While 2015's high-profile murders and militant attacks cause it to stand out, the plodding and ineffectual investigations that have followed make it just like any other year.
Law enforcers now fear a rise in suicide bombings, after India's National Intelligence Agency shared intelligence with Dhaka about possible suicide attacks by the Jama'atul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB).
Two foreign nationals, five secular-minded bloggers, three Islamic scholars and two members of law enforcement agencies were murdered in 2015.
Although in some cases the field-level criminals have been arrested, the masterminds behind the killings remain unknown.
Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal has told the Dhaka Tribune that the attacks and other incidents of violence in the country were planned abroad “to create disorder.”
“Law enforcers are ready to tackle these criminals,” he added.
Blogger assassinations
At the beginning of the year, secular blogger and engineer Avijit Roy and his wife Bonya were attacked by machete-wielding assailants on February 26 on the Dhaka University campus. Avijit later died of his injuries in hospital.
A day later, Ansarullah Bangla Team claimed responsibility for the murder.
The US Federal Bureau of Investigation joined the Detective Branch (DB) of police's investigation, but as the year draws to a close the probe has made no progress.
On March 30, blogger Oyasiqur Rahman Babu was killed in the capital's Tejgaon neighbourhood. The charge sheet of the case is pending. Two of the suspects remain traceless.
On May 12, blogger Ananta Bijoy Das was killed in Sylhet. The Rapid Action Battalion on August 18, arrested five people suspected of involvement in the Ananta and Avijit killings but nothing has yet been proved.
On August 7, blogger Niladri Chatterjee was murdered as he returned to his home in Dhaka's Khilgaon area. Although police arrested two suspects, both alleged Ansarullah operatives, the case remains unsolved.
On October 31, Faisal Arefin Dipan, the publisher of slain blogger Avijit Roy, was killed in his office in the capital's Aziz Super Market. The police are yet to make any arrests.
Monirul Islam, joint commissioner of DB police who is investigating most of the blogger cases, told the Dhaka Tribune that it was not true that the police had failed to solve the cases.
“Some cases have already been solved and in some cases arrests have been made. We are not a specialised force to deal with militancy but our officials are doing their level best,” he said.
Monirul claimed that police vigilance had foiled a number of planned militant attacks.
Expat murders
On September 28, Italian citizen Cesare Tavella was murdered in the capital's posh Gulshan neighbourhood. On October 3, Japanese citizen Kunio Hoshi was murdered in the northern district of Rangpur.
The Islamic State group claimed responsibility for both murders but local investigators doubt the veracity of the claims and point to home-grown motives and criminals.
The police have arrested five people in the Tavella murder case and have claimed BNP former ward commissioner Abdul Kaiyum orchestrated the killing. But the murder weapon and a mastermind posited by investigators to be behind the murder have not been traced.
In the Hoshi murder case, JMB leader Ishak Ali gave a confessional statement in court admitting to involvement in the murder, according to Deputy Inspector General of Rangpur police Humayun Kabir.
Others believed to be involved in the murder and the alleged mastermind behind the slaying have not yet been identified.
Islamic scholar slayings
On September 4, assailants brutally killed Lengta Fakir and Abdul Kader in the Banglabazar Mazar area of Chittagong city.
Police arrested JMB member Sujon who admitted to involvement in the killing, Additional Deputy Commissioner of Chittagong police Kazi Muttaki Ibne Minan said.
On October 5, former PDB chairman Khijir Khan was killed by assailants in the capital's Badda neighbourhood. Police have arrested five suspects, of whom two have admitted to involvement in the murder. The charge sheet of the case is pending.
Cop killings
On October 22, police Assistant Sub-Inspector Ibrahim Mollah was killed while on duty at a checkpoint in the capital's Gabtoli area. On November 4, industrial police Constable Mukul Hossain was killed in like fashion while on duty in Savar's Ashulia area, on the outskirts of Dhaka.
In the Gabtoli checkpoint case, police have made six arrests. In the Ashulia case no arrests have yet been made.
In addition to these killings, some 12 religious institutes came under attack this year.
Security analyst Brig Gen (retd) M Sakhawat Hussain blamed poor intelligence by law enforcement agencies for the attacks.
Another security analyst, Major Gen (retd) Abdur Rashid, said it is necessary to take action against militant and criminal groups and to track down militant suspects who have been bailed.
Asked, Assistant Inspector General Nazrul Islam of Police Headquarters, told the Dhaka Tribune that the police have increased their vigilance to track down militant and criminal hideouts.
“We have already arrested a number of militants and are hopeful of making more arrests soon,” he said.
