Political violence is becoming deadlier across the country as the 13th parliamentary election is nearing.
According to the rights group Ain o Salish Kendra data, at least 10 people were killed and 555 others injured in 65 clashes from January 1 to January 28.
The ASK data also show that four people were killed and 353 injured in 42 incidents in seven days from January 21 to January 28.
According to the ASK data, five people were killed in September, six in October, eight in November and four in December of 2025.
Incidents of violence are taking place over electioneering, some even over posting on social media, for the 13th Jatiya Sangsad polls on February 12.
Police headquarters data, however, show that at least 201 incidents of political violence, including four killings, were reported after the announcement of the election schedule.
According to the PHQ data between December 12 and January 28, the violence included 73 clashes between the supporters of opponents, nine attacks on candidates, eight incidents of threats, 15 of intimidations and threatening behaviour, two of illegal arms use and 22 of creating obstacles during electioneering.
Of them, 14 were attacks on party election offices like vandalism and arson, 11 blockades and protests, one attack on minorities and 42 other incidents, said the PHQ data.
After the Election Commission announced the polls scheduled on December 11 and Inquilab Mancha spokesperson Sharif Osman Hadi was shot in the head from a close range in Dhaka on December 12, 2025.
Hadi had been conducting a campaign as an aspiring independent candidate for the Dhaka-8 constituency in the February 12 JS elections. He was later flown to Singapore where he died during treatment in a hospital on December 18, 2025.
Protests erupted in Dhaka as elsewhere in the country after the incident of shooting and it intensified after his death news came from Singapore to Bangladesh.
Analysing recent media reports, it was found that most of the clashes took place between leaders and activists of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party and those of the Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami and between BNP and National Citizen Party people.
On January 28, Jamaat Sreebardi upazila general secretary Rezaul Karim died on the way to Mymensingh Medical College Hospital following a clash between activists of the Jamaat and the BNP in Jhenaigati upazila town of Sherpur, leaving dozens injured.
The death of the Jamaat leader also triggered protests on university campuses and some other districts in the country.
On December 24, BNP cultural wing Jatiyatabadi Samajik Sangskritik Sangstha of Gosinga union unit joint secretary Farid Sarkar was stabbed to death by unidentified
killers at village Latifpur of Sreepur upazila in Gazipur district.
On January 16, a man was killed in a clash between two factions of the BNP over the opening of an electoral campaign office at Dhobaura upazila in Mymensingh.
The deceased was identified as Nazrul Islam, 40, a supporter of independent candidate Salman Omar Rubel, who also sought nomination for the Mymensingh-1
constituency from the BNP in the forthcoming national elections.
On January 7, BNP volunteer wing Jatiyatabadi Swechchhasebak Dal central joint secretary Azizur Rahman Musabbir was shot to death in front of the Ahsanullah
Institute of Technical and Vocational Education and Training Centre in Tejturibazar area.
Although the BNP claimed that the murder was political, the police denied and said that extortion was behind the murder.
Some incidents triggered over Facebook posts, causing clashes.
On January 27, at least 12 people were injured in a clash between supporters of the Jamaat and the BNP in Naria upazila of Shariatpur over the allegations of BNP campaigning for ‘No’ vote on social media in the referendum.
Bangladesh Open University pro-vice-chancellor (Academic) Dil Rowshan Zinnat Ara Nazneen said that violence was unexpected following the August 5, 2024 political changeover as they thought that the election would be held amid festivity and enthusiasm.
‘We did not want such violence. We observe that the two big political parties are showing intolerable behaviour as election is nearing. If such a situation continues, violence will increased in the coming days,’ said Dil Rowshan, also a former Dhaka University political science professor.
She, however, said that it would be bad if voters’ turnout decreased due to the fear of violence.
Inspector general of police Bahrul Alam told New Age on Friday evening that the situation
was normal considering the country’s 50 years of election history.
‘We have not seen any election without violence in Bangladesh. The situation was more violent in 2014 general elections,’ he added.
Asked about the police capacity in bringing the situation under control during any massive violence in the election, he said that they would work to ensure the election on February 12 by any means.
‘If any untoward situation occurs at any centre, polling at the station will be halted,’ he added.
According to the Election Commission, 192 incidents of violating the electoral code of conduct were reported in 176 parliamentary constituencies across the country between January 8 and January 28.
At least 119 cases were filed over those violations and executive magistrates also realised fines Tk 12, 24,300 in the cases.
On Friday afternoon, at least 12 people were injured in a clash between supporters of the BNP and the NCP over chanting slogans for the inauguration of a ferry ghat under Hatiya upazila in Noakhali district, New Age correspondent in the district reported.
11-party alliance Noakhali-6 candidate and NCP senior joint chief organiser Abdul Hannan Masud gave a two-hour ultimatum for arresting the attackers or else, he said, he would leave the election race.
Denying the allegation, BNP organising secretary and Noakhali-6 party candidate Mahbubur Rahman Shamim said that NCP activists attacked them in the programme.
Hatiya police station officer-in-charge Md Saiful Alam said that the situation was now under control as police is still on the spot.
Professor Muhammad Yunus-led interim government took office on August 8, 2024, three days after the ouster of the Sheikh Hasina-led Awami League regime amid a mass uprising.
On May 10, 2024, the interim government banned all activities of the Awami League until the trial of the party and its leaders in the International Crimes Tribunal.
The interim government, in an executive order earlier, had banned the Awami League’s student organisation, Bangladesh Chhatra League.
The Awami League was also barred from participating in the next general election.
