Murder cases on the rise in first half of 2025: Police statistics

From January to June this year, murder cases have steadily increased across Bangladesh. In January, 294 murder cases were filed nationwide, while in June, the number rose to 344. Over the past six months, other crimes such as robbery, banditry, rape, and attacks on police have fluctuated.

This data comes from the analysis of crime statistics released yesterday, Monday, by the Press Wing of the Chief Adviser’s Office, based on reports from the Police Headquarters. The statistics span from 2020 to June 2025.

According to the Press Wing, recent media reports have suggested a rise in crime this year, sparking public fear and a sense of insecurity. However, the data does not fully support the claim of a significant crime spike. It says that in the past 10 months, major crimes have remained relatively stable.

The brutal murder of businessman Lal Chand, alias Sohag, in Old Dhaka—beaten, hacked, and smashed with bricks over extortion disputes—has reignited public debate about law and order. These incidents have drawn criticism not only of political activists but also of law enforcement agencies. Against this backdrop, the Press Wing issued a statement on the country’s crime situation.

The data shows an upward trend for murder cases in last six months. A total of 294 murder cases were filed in January, and continue to increase through June since then. The number of murder cases was 300 in February, 316 in March, 338 in April, 341 in May, and 344 in June.

Again, a closer analysis of the statistics shows a consistent rise in murder cases in the past six months. Yearly data also reflect this trend. Nationwide murder cases were 3,539 in 2020; 3,214 in 2021; 3,126 in 2022, and 3,023 in 2023. The murder cases increased significantly in 2024 to 4,114 in June. That was mainly due to political unrest and indiscriminate killing during the student–people uprising. Also in the last year, cases were filed over many killings of previous years.

However, the increase of cases continued in the current year as 1,933 murder cases were filed between January and June 2025. This number is much higher than the average for any six-month period from 2020 to 2023.

The average number of cases per month in these four years was around 269, and the average of six months is approximately 1,613.  

According to the Press Wing, an analysis of crime statistics shows that currently there is no major crime wave sweeping the country. Rather, the rates of some of the most serious crimes have either declined or remained the same. Only a few specific categories of crime have seen an increase. Citizens should remain cautious, while also maintaining confidence that law enforcement agencies are keeping the situation under control — this message is conveyed by the overall stability in crime trends.

However, analysis of the statistics reveals varying trends across different types of crimes. For instance, 71 robbery cases were filed in January this year, which declined to 49 in June. From January to June, the total number of robbery cases was 367. While statistics for the first half of this year show a downward trend in robbery toward June, the yearly total is still higher. For example, in the past six months, 367 robbery cases were filed, while in previous years, annual robbery cases were 302 in 2020, 308 in 2021, 406 in 2022, 319 in 2023, and 490 in 2024.

Similarly, the number of banditry cases has fluctuated over the past six months. There were 171 cases in January and 151 in June. Altogether, 972 banditry cases were filed in the past six months — nearly equivalent to the full-year totals of previous years. The number of such cases in previous years was: 978 in 2020; 971 in 2021; 1,128 in 2022; 1,227 in 2023, and 1,405 in 2024.

Analysis of the crime statistics provided by the Press Wing shows that the number of rape, violence against women, and abduction cases has at times increased and at other times decreased. In January this year, 392 rape cases were filed, which rose to 492 in June. Over the six-month period, rape cases showed an upward trend. However, year-wise, the number of rape cases appears relatively stable as 6,555 rape cases was filed in 2020; 6,341 in 2021; 6,032 in 2022; 5,191 in 2023, and 4,394 in 2024.

In the last six months, 6,144 cases of violence against women were filed. Among the past five years, last year recorded the lowest number of such cases, with 10,198. In contrast, the highest was in 2020, with 13,431 cases. Therefore, the number of cases concerning violence against women can be said to have remained somewhat stable.

This year, the number of abduction cases has increased significantly. Over the past six months, 517 abduction cases were filed — in some instances surpassing the total annual count of previous years. The number of such cases was 486 in 2020; 445 in 2021; 460 in 2022; 463 in 2023; and 642 in 2024. The number of abduction cases had already increased towards the end of last year.

Other crimes — such as acid attacks, riots, child abuse, theft, drug recovery, smuggling, and cases under the Explosives and Arms Acts — have also seen fluctuations.

Incidents of attacks on police personnel, who play a key role in maintaining law and order, have not ceased. In the last six months alone, 329 such cases were filed. This six-month average is relatively higher than in previous years. In 2020 such case 449; 608 in 2021; 601 in 2022; 607 in 2023; and 642 in 2024.

Crime analysts say that the Police Headquarters typically compiles crime statistics based on the number of cases filed. As a result, these figures do not always reflect the actual law and order situation. When the police are reluctant to file cases, crime appears lower in statistics. Still, these numbers offer an overall impression of the crime landscape.

Associate Professor Touhidul Haque of the Institute of Social Welfare and Research at the University of Dhaka told Prothom Alo that there is no scope to ignore reality by relying solely on statistics. Cases of murder, and violence against women and children, are hogging the headlines now. Public fear and anxiety have grown. This signals the negative reality of the crime situation.

He added that the government must assess whether people are feeling safe and, by acknowledging the situation, ensure public security.