With Bangladesh moving closer to its 13th parliamentary election scheduled for February, a sharp rise in violence, including targeted killings and the widespread use of illegal firearms, has sparked growing fear among political parties and prospective candidates across the country, according to local media reports.
Reports suggest that killings linked to political rivalry, the struggle for dominance, and personal disputes have escalated, fuelling growing security concerns among ordinary citizens.
Citing Police headquarters data, Bangladeshi leading daily Dhaka Tribune reported that from January to November last year, 3,509 people were killed across Bangladesh.
As per the findings of the Dhaka-based rights group Ain o Salish Kendra (ASK), political violence claimed the lives of 102 people last year, compared to 45 in 2023.
Another rights body of Bangladesh, the Human Rights Support Society (HRSS), documented 123 political violence-related deaths last year, up from 96 in 2023.
Following the murder of radical Islamist leader Sharif Osman Hadi, who had announced plans to contest the election as an independent candidate from the Dhaka-8 constituency, concerns over security reignited, with political leaders and other key figures reportedly hiring gunmen for protection.
Earlier on December 13, Bangladesh’s interim government decided to roll out the second phase of “Operation Devil Hunt Phase-2” across the country, citing the need to prevent subversive activities using illegal arms ahead of the February 2026 elections, according to local media reports.
The police headquarters data revealed that 15,009 people were arrested and 218 firearms were recovered during the first 24 days of the operation.
During the ongoing Operation Devil Hunt Phase-2, on January 7, a leader of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party’s (BNP)voluntary wing, Jatiyatabadi Swechasebak Dal, was shot dead by gunmen in Dhaka.
Azizur Rahman Mosabbir, a joint convener of the Swechasebak Dal’s Dhaka North unit, was reportedly having tea with a party colleague at a stall behind the Bashundhara City Shopping Mall in the Karwan Bazar area when several assailants arrived on motorcycles, opened fire indiscriminately, and fled.
Speaking to Dhaka Tribune, Saiful Haque, general secretary of the Revolutionary Workers Party from the Dhaka-12 constituency and a BNP-backed candidate, said that the killings of Hadi and Musabbir have left both voters and candidates fearing for their safety.
“The government and the Election Commission are unable to provide the expected security. This situation must be overcome. To ensure a fair and successful election, the law and order situation must improve. Otherwise, such killings will continue,” Haque stated.
When asked about the measures to curb target killings ahead of the election, Bangladesh’s Inspector General of Police (IGP) Baharul Alam stated that preventing acts of violence is extremely difficult.
“Police are working to suppress all forms of crime. Operation Devil Hunt Phase-2 is ongoing to maintain law and order before the election,” Dhaka Tribune quoted the senior police official as saying.
Bangladesh has witnessed escalating violence and a deteriorating law and order situation since the Muhammad Yunus-led interim government assumed power.
