BNP is facing a deepening internal crisis in Chattogram marked by a string of violent clashes. Since the change of government in August 2024, at least 47 people have been killed in politically motivated conflicts — most of them within the BNP itself.
According to reports compiled from local police and administrative sources, BNP blames the police for failing to maintain law and order, while police officials in turn point to high-level political interference that, they say, hampers their ability to act decisively.
Between 5 August 2024 and 27 October 2025, a total of 47 murders were recorded across Chattogram. The highest number — 18 deaths — occurred in Raozan, followed by 10 in Fatikchhari–Bhujpur, 5 in Mirsarai, 4 each in Sitakunda and the Chattogram metropolitan area, 3 in Sandwip, 2 in Satkania, and 1 in Hathazari.
Local investigations suggest that almost all of the killings stemmed from intra-party clashes within BNP. Only two incidents, both in Satkania, were linked to internal disputes within Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami.
BNP leaders argue that police in Chattogram have failed to curb the spread of illegal arms among political activists and criminal groups. Gias Qader Chowdhury, vice-chairman of the BNP central committee and an expected nominee for Parliament, warned that “if illegal arms are not recovered the situation will be disastrous.”
He told Daily TIMES of Bangladesh that the murders in Raozan were “in most cases the result of extortion and illegal occupation of property,” yet they were being portrayed as mere internal party conflicts.
He added that the situation in Raozan, as well as across Chattogram, was the result of illegal arms trading and police inaction. Denying any personal responsibility, he said: “I have written to the government’s home affairs adviser, urging serious action against those responsible for these incidents.”
Besides Raozan, most of the murders occurred in the Chattogram metropolitan area, Mirsarai, Sandwip and Satkania. BNP leaders accused in some of the cases said the situation was worsening due to the easy availability of illegal weapons. With poor coordination and weak enforcement, they said, weapons stolen from law enforcement stockpiles remain in circulation, fuelling intra-party attacks and assaults on civilians alike.
Mir Mohammad Helal Uddin, assistant organising secretary of the BNP’s Chattogram division, said that in most of the murder cases, both the victims and the accused were infiltrators from other political parties, mainly the ousted Awami League.
“This is a complete failure of the police,” he added, noting that the BNP central committee now plans to meet the adviser on home affairs to discuss the deteriorating law and order situation, particularly in Chattogram.
“When law enforcement fails to recover looted police weapons, when criminals walk free wielding unlicensed guns, the party becomes the battleground,” he said. “We must rebuild from the core: enforce the law, punish the perpetrators and restore trust among our cadres.”
Among the weapons looted from the city’s police stations and outposts, 155 are still missing. Of these, 55 are 12-bore shotguns, 42 are 9mm pistols, 18 are Chinese rifles, eight are SMG-T56 (China), 16 are Chinese pistols, 14 are gas guns and two are tear gas launchers.
While BNP continues to accuse the police of repeated failures to prevent killings across Chattogram, police officials insist that the situation has become unmanageable due to the political backing of influential figures. They claim that almost all those killed so far had prior involvement in criminal activities, and that no innocent person has been targeted.
Ahsan Habib Palash, deputy inspector general (DIG) of Police for the Chattogram Range, told TIMES: “Who is carrying out these incidents and who is behind them is as clear as daylight. Everyone knows. We have repeatedly asked them to stop, but they are not listening.”
Palash added that when local BNP leaders communicate with the police, they often act as though they are unaware of the situation.
“After we arrested some of those involved, their followers blocked roads and demonstrated. How is that possible without the involvement of high-ranking leaders?” he questioned.
