Crimes including killing, stealing, robberies and narcotic related offences have increased in the capital, according to Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) statistics.
However, incidents of women and children repression have decreased. But the incidence still remains alarming.
According to statistics of cases under DMP, it is found that a total of 28,749 cases related to crimes have been filed in 2022, which is 15 per cent higher than the previous year.
Some 62,494 people have been arrested in connection with different crimes in the outgoing year while such cases were around 50,000 in 2021.
Some 173 people have been killed in 2022 while the number was 152 in 2021. Cases in connection with stealing have increased by 28 per cent. A total of 103 cases have been filed in connection with snatching. A total of 145 incidents of robbery have taken place while the number was 134 in the previous year.
In the incidents of stealing and snatching, victims normally do not want to go to the police stations in fear of harassment. As a result, the real picture cannot be found only from the case statistics.
Criminology experts have termed the picture of the cases alarming.
Speaking to Prothom Alo, professor at the criminology and police science department of Mawlana Bhashani Science and Technology University, Mohammad Umar Faruk, said price hike of essentials and crisis of employment may cause to the rising incidents of stealing, snatching and robbery. The living standards of people are falling. As people are unable to survive, they are getting involved in criminal activities. He said the incidents of killing increase if the incidents of political violence, business conflict, revenge, illicit affairs and narcotics increase.
Following the Russia-Ukraine war in February 2022, the prices of essential started rising. Later the price of dollar increased causing the rise in import cost. The economy fell into crisis. The inflation exceeded 9 per cent, which is the highest in 11 years.
According to a survey of World Food Programme (WFP), some 68 per cent of the people were struggling to buy food in August.
Killing higher in Wari and Mirpur
DMP has divided 50 police stations into eight crime divisions to control crimes in the capital. These are Ramna, Lalbagh, Wari, Motijheel, Tengaon, Mirpur, Gulshan and Uttara. The highest number of killings, 37 has taken place in Wari, 31 in Mirpur, 21 in Gulshan and Motijheel each, 17 Uttara and Lalbagh each, 16 in Ramna and 13 in Tejgaon.