Human Rights Support Society (HRSS) published its monthly human rights monitoring report for October 2026 on Saturday, revealing that political violence caused 12 deaths and injured over 334 people across Bangladesh.
The report, compiled from news in 16 national media outlets alongside HRSS field data and fact-finding reports, noted an increase in political violence incidents and fatalities compared to September.
In September, at least four people were killed and 527 injured across 68 political violence incidents.
Political feuds, electoral clashes
Out of 70 political violence incidents in October, internal feuds within BNP accounted for 35 incidents, leaving at least 185 injured and nine dead.
Six clashes between BNP and Jamaat-e-Islami resulted in 16 injuries, while seven clashes between BNP and Awami League left 27 injured and two dead.
A single internal feud in the Awami League caused one death, two clashes between BNP and NCP injured three people, and 11 clashes between BNP and other parties injured 33 individuals.
Eight inter-party clashes left 70 injured, and among the 12 total political fatalities, 10 belonged to BNP and two to Awami League.
Ahead of local government elections, six election-related clashes caused 35 injuries and one death, including four BNP internal clashes that injured 31 and killed one, alongside two clashes involving other parties that injured four.
Most violence stemmed from territorial dominance, political rivalry, local election disputes, internal feuds, and extortion, accompanied by separate attacks, shootings, vandalism, and arson.
Miscreants carried out 11 attacks on party activists, killing seven – two from BNP, four from Awami League, and one extremist – and injuring six, while at least 31 political figures suffered bullet wounds.
Additionally, 22 incidents of territorial control, political violence, and extortion led to attacks, looting, vandalism, and arson targeting 70 homes, businesses, and party offices.
Authorities filed 28 cases against political figures, naming 202 specific individuals and about 315 unidentified persons, while arresting at least 25,165 individuals during joint, special, and political operations, including 384 from Awami League, 81 from BNP, 27 from Jamaat-e-Islami, one from NCP, and 18 from radical or extremist groups.
Mob attacks, media curbs and state action
Mass lynching and mob violence caused widespread concern during the month, with 33 mob lynching incidents over theft, robbery, and mugging resulting in 22 deaths and 20 injuries.
A further 22 mob violence incidents left 36 injured and one dead, alongside two harassment cases, six injured police officers, attacks on seven homes and businesses, and four arson attacks.
Media freedom also faced severe pressure, as 46 journalists suffered torture and harassment across 28 incidents, leaving one dead, at least 31 injured, seven humiliated, and six threatened, with one journalist facing a defamation lawsuit.
Law enforcement agencies directly or indirectly obstructed nine rallies, injuring 108 people, bullet-wounding four, and detaining 31.
In 15 incidents involving freedom of expression, authorities detained 20 people and filed 15 cases, including two cases and three detentions for criticising the prime minister, four detentions for political criticism, five for hurting religious sentiments, and six on other issues.
Social media backlash regarding July issues, narcotics, power outages, and religious insult led to one person being beaten to death, three tortured, and one temporarily dismissed, while one case was filed under the Cyber Security Act 2026, leading to one detention and two accused.
Border casualties, worker safety and abuse of women
Custodial deaths reached 19 in prisons nationwide, comprising four convicted prisoners and 15 undertrials, of whom two were affiliated with Awami League and 17 were general prisoners.
Three individuals were killed in law enforcement firing, two died fleeing police during anti-gambling and narcotics drives, and a woman suffered a fatal panic-induced stroke during a house raid.
Moreover, authorities recovered 55 bodies from 53 incidents in rivers, canals, forests, and abandoned places, including three packed in sacks, four hanging, seven with multiple injuries, seven throat-cut, four with bound limbs, and 22 in other circumstances.
Along the India-Bangladesh border, Border Security Force (BSF) attacks across three incidents killed one Bangladeshi, bullet-injured two, and led to two detentions, while two more bodies were found along the border.
On the Myanmar border, a Rohingya youth in Ukhia camp was injured by an Arakan Army landmine. Attacks on minorities damaged seven idols and three homes across four incidents, accompanied by one land-grabbing incident and shrine vandalism in Sherpur and Thakurgaon.
In the labour sector, 71 abuse incidents led to 23 deaths and 134 injuries, with 38 workers dying from unsafe workplace conditions, while three domestic workers suffered abuse, one died mysteriously, and two domestic workers were raped or sexually abused.
Violence against women and children remained high, with 261 women and girls abused, including 82 rape victims – 42 of whom were under 18–20 gang-rape cases, five post-rape murders, one rape-induced suicide, 72 sexual harassment cases, nine dowry deaths, and 47 domestic violence fatalities.
Additionally, 201 children experienced abuse, resulting in 38 child deaths and 163 suffering physical and mental abuse.
Calls for dialogue, institutional accountability
Evaluating the overall human rights situation, Ejajul Islam, executive director of HRSS, said that while certain indicators showed minor improvements in October, several critical areas deteriorated.
He noted that persistent political feuds, election violence, mob attacks, deaths in custody and law enforcement firing, media curbs, border casualties, and abuse of women and workers threaten further decline unless urgent corrective measures are taken.
Calling for coordinated efforts across state institutions and society, the executive director of HRSS emphasised the necessity of establishing the rule of law, strengthening democratic processes, and fostering constructive dialogue with political parties, civil society, journalists, and human rights bodies to restore public order and safeguard fundamental constitutional rights.
He urged the government to adopt accountable and responsible actions to protect human rights, while calling on citizens, media personnel, and rights organisations to maintain an active role.
