Mob killings hit six-month high in May

At least 32 people were killed in mob violence in May -- the highest monthly death toll in the past six months.

Another 71 people were critically injured in at least 69 incidents of mob violence, according to the Manabadhikar Shongskriti Foundation (MSF).

In its monthly report released yesterday, the rights body said, “The number of people killed in mob violence rose from 21 [in April] to 32 in May, while the number of injured increased from 49 to 71, reflecting a clear rise in the tendency of people taking the law into their own hands.”

Law enforcers are also being attacked during incidents of mob violence, it said.

In April, 21 people were killed and 49 were critically injured in mob beatings across the country, while 19 people were killed and 31 were injured the month before.

According to MSF’s tally, 18 people were killed in February and 21 in January, up from 10 deaths recorded in December 2025.

Mob violence has continued unabated despite repeated assurances from Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed that such acts would not be tolerated.

The issue has also been discussed in parliament on several occasions.

Speaking at a Police Week programme on May 10, Salahuddin said the government would amend existing laws or enact new ones if necessary to curb mob violence.

In its May report, undersigned by its founding president Advocate Sultana Kamal, MSF said public safety has become a serious concern amid the alarming rise in mob violence.

The group’s statistics show that, of those killed in mob violence in May, 14 were attacked over allegations of theft, four following altercations, two over allegations of robbery, two over allegations of attempted rape and sexual assault, one over allegations of murder, one over “insulting remarks”, one over an allegation of mugging, one over drug peddling, and six over various other allegations.

At least 35 of the injured victims were later handed over to police, it added.

In another April-May comparative analysis, the MSF said violence against women and children, including rape, had also risen at an alarming rate.

Incidents of rape, attempted rape, gang rape, and murder following rape have all increased significantly, indicating a severe deterioration in the situation of women and children in the country, it said.

The rights body’s findings show that at least 326 incidents of violence against women and children were recorded in May, 12 more than the previous month.

At least 78 rapes were reported in May -- nearly 40 percent higher than the number of rapes recorded in April. Besides, 16 gang rapes and six cases of murder following rape were reported. Fourteen gang rapes were and two murders following rape were reported in April.

The MSF report highlighted the rape, murder, and beheading of eight-year-old Ramisa, and praised the state’s prompt action in arresting the accused and initiating the trial process.

However, it stressed that the state must ensure impartial and speedy trials in all cases of violence against women and children.

The rights body said there were signs of improvement in some areas of the human rights situation in May compared with April, including a decline in incidents of political violence.

At least three people were killed and 193 others were injured in May, while three people were killed and 303 were injured the previous month.

According to MSF, seven people died in jail custody in May, compared with six in April and 11 in March.

It said four Bangladeshi nationals were killed by the Indian Border Security Force in May, including three who were shot dead and one who died after being tortured.

Besides, the bodies of a fisherman and an unidentified woman were recovered from areas along the Bangladesh-India border. In addition, a young man was publicly stabbed to death by miscreants in a border-adjacent area, bringing the total number of border-related deaths to 10 in May, up from eight in April.

Meanwhile, along the Myanmar border, three Bangladeshis were killed on the spot in two separate landmine explosions in May.