Violence Linked to BNP Ahead of Bangladesh Elections: Human Rights Group
Dhaka, August 11: Ahead of the upcoming national elections in Bangladesh, controlling violence has emerged as a significant concern. This is attributed to violent activities that occurred during or after the elections held a few months ago. Local media reports, citing a human rights organization, indicate that the groups most active in election-related violence are those associated with the ruling Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP).
The human rights group ‘Odhikar’ presented its monitoring report, revealing that the BNP and its allies were involved in 52% of violent activities before the elections, 53% on polling day, and 75% after the elections.
According to a report from the prominent newspaper The Daily Star, Jamaat-e-Islami and its allies were involved in 15% of activities before the elections, 13% on polling day, and 9% after the elections.
These findings were shared during a discussion at the Center on Integrated Rural Development for Asia and the Pacific (CIRDAP) in Dhaka on Monday. The report highlighted that violent and intimidating incidents continued locally during the 2026 election campaign.
Among all districts in Bangladesh, Chattogram, Cox’s Bazar, Bhola, Mymensingh, and Dhaka emerged as main hotspots, where intimidation of the public was prevalent. Post-election incidents of assault, property damage, and murder were notably recorded, with 62 incidents reported before the elections.
Chattogram recorded the highest number of incidents at 11, followed by Cox’s Bazar with eight. Dhaka and Mymensingh each reported five incidents, while Sirajganj recorded four. Authorities took some action in 34 of the 62 pre-election incidents, but no action was taken in 28 cases.
Odhikar documented 32 incidents across 19 electoral constituencies on polling day, with Mymensingh witnessing seven and Bhola six incidents. The Daily Star reported four incidents in Chattogram and three each in Cox’s Bazar and Feni.
Of the 32 incidents, 17 involved the BNP and its allies, while four involved Jamaat and its associates. Two incidents included activists from the Islamic Movement of Bangladesh. The report noted that in 11 cases, there was no police action, and the status of action in seven cases remains unclear.
Last month, Odhikar reported that between April and June this year, 33 people were killed in mob lynching incidents in Bangladesh, while political violence claimed 41 lives and injured 970 individuals across the country.
Deependra Singh Chundawat is a Senior Sub-Editor at Udaipur Kiran, specializing in a wide range of technology topics including mobile phones, applications, gaming, PCs, and wearables. Along with covering the latest tech news, he also creates engaging web stories. Passionate about emerging technologies, he stays up to date with the newest trends and enjoys reading and writing about the latest mobile launches and digital innovations.