Bangladesh’s Awami League has accused the ruling Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) government of failing to control the country’s law-and-order situation and alleged that political retaliation is taking priority over efforts to address rising violence.In a statement reported on September 30, the Awami League cited figures covering several categories of crime and violence and claimed that thousands of cases had been recorded since the BNP government took office. These claims come amid continuing political tensions surrounding the banned Awami League and the country’s post-2024 political transition.Key HighlightsAwami League accused the BNP government of worsening law-and-order conditionsThe party alleged rising cases of murder, rape, mob violence and attacksIt claimed 21,756 cases across seven categories were filed between February and SeptemberThe Awami League also accused the government of political vendettaIndependent reporting has also documented concerns over mob and political violence in BangladeshThe BNP government has previously faced criticism over law-and-order challengesAwami League Raises Law-and-Order ConcernsAccording to the Awami League, 21,756 cases related to seven categories of violence were filed during the seven-month period from February to September 2026.The party said the figure included 1,789 murder cases and 11,165 cases involving violence against women and children. It also cited 317 attacks on police during the period.The Awami League further referred to reported rape cases between January and August, including alleged gang-rape cases and incidents in which victims were reportedly killed.These figures were presented by the party as evidence of what it described as a deterioration in law and order. The allegations have not independently established that all of the reported crimes were caused by government policy or political activity.Political Vendetta AllegationsThe Awami League also accused Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed of focusing on political retaliation against the party instead of prioritising law enforcement.The party alleged that the minister had publicly spoken about eliminating the Awami League and announcing rewards related to such efforts. These are allegations made by the Awami League and have not been independently verified in the available reporting.The Awami League has remained barred from political activity following the restrictions imposed during the interim administration. Its registration was also cancelled ahead of the February 2026 parliamentary election.Violence Remains a Wider ConcernConcerns about violence in Bangladesh extend beyond the Awami League's latest allegations.A report by rights organisation Odhikar documented 33 deaths from mob attacks between April and June 2026. The same report recorded 41 deaths and 970 injuries linked to political violence during the three-month period.Recent reporting by The Business Standard has also highlighted difficulties faced by police in preventing violence, including flash processions, arson and crude-bomb incidents in Dhaka. Police officials cited weakened intelligence coordination and uncertainty among officers as some of the factors affecting their response.At the same time, Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed has said the government is not alarmed by the law-and-order situation and that arrests and investigations are being carried out following incidents. Police leadership has also defended its performance.Bangladesh's Continuing Political TensionsThe latest allegations come amid a major political transition in Bangladesh.The BNP won the February 2026 parliamentary election, and Tarique Rahman subsequently became prime minister. The Awami League, led by former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, was excluded from that election following the ban on its political activities.The competing claims over law and order, political prosecutions and the treatment of Awami League members remain part of the wider debate over Bangladesh's political transition.
