When Maydul Hassan was first mugged, he thought he had hit all-time low. However inside per week, the 21-year-old scholar was battered and robbed once more – this time, in entrance of the police, who, in keeping with Hassan, stood by and did nothing.
Hassan, who participated in final yr’s student-led rebellion that helped unseat longtime Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, now wonders what the nation he risked his life for has become. “That is what I acquired in return,” he mentioned. “The nation is drowning in crime, nobody appears to care.”
On February 13, a gaggle of males ambushed him at about 10pm, whereas he was returning residence from his part-time job at a tech agency within the capital’s Mirpur space. The attackers took his Pixel 4XL telephone, pockets, college ID and headphones.
Days later, on February 18, he was crushed and robbed. The assailants snatched the brand new Google Pixel 7 telephone he had simply purchased on a $400 mortgage, then mocked him as he pleaded with them to return it.
The police have been stationed solely metres away, Hassan mentioned. “I cried, I begged, however the police did nothing.”
When Hassan later tried to file a criticism on the close by police station, a neighborhood man claiming to be a member of Jatiotabadi Chhatra Dal, the scholar wing of the Bangladesh Nationalist Social gathering (BNP), one of many foremost opposition events that has gained affect since Hasina’s ouster, intervened. “You don’t must file this. I’ll discover your telephone,” the person assured him, escorting him outdoors – after which demanded cash in return.
Determined, Hassan withdrew and handed over 3,500 Bangladeshi taka ($29) from a close-by ATM. He quickly realised he had been tricked. The person, he later found, had additionally been a part of Hasina’s scholar wing, the Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) – an all-too-common case of political opportunism the place members of fallen events shift loyalties in a single day to align with these in energy.
Hassan finally filed a criticism on-line, a duplicate of which he confirmed to Al Jazeera, however no police motion has adopted.
“I stay in a rustic the place, at the same time as a sufferer, I’m harassed inside a police station. Criminals stroll freely, flexing their energy in entrance of officers, and the police do nothing. I begged in entrance of them, and all they did was watch,” Hassan wrote in a Fb publish that went viral in a single day.
Ali Ahmed Masud, the chief of Dhanmondi Police Station, the place Hassan had gone, insisted that nobody was obstructed from lodging a criticism. “From my understanding, there might have been an settlement that the telephone can be returned, which is why he initially selected to not file a Basic Diary [police complaint],” Masud mentioned.
“However later, when he did file one, we’re actively working to get better the telephone and take actions in opposition to the muggers.”
Nevertheless, Masud didn’t touch upon the allegation that law enforcement officials stood by with out intervening whereas Hassan was being attacked. “It hasn’t come to my data but. I’ll look into it,” Masud mentioned.
Security on edge
Hassan’s ordeal just isn’t an remoted case. Bangladesh, residence to 170 million folks, is experiencing its worst crime wave in years. Because the fall of Sheikh Hasina’s authorities, the streets have grown more and more perilous. In January 2025 alone, police reported 242 instances of mugging and theft – the best quantity in six years – throughout Bangladesh.
At the least 294 murders have been recorded in January 2025, in contrast with 231 in the identical month the earlier yr. Robberies surged from 114 to 171, and abductions greater than doubled. Police knowledge additionally present a pointy rise in muggings, robberies and abductions in November and December final yr, surpassing figures from the identical interval over the earlier 5 years.
“The figures are alarming,” mentioned Najmus Sakib, a criminology assistant professor at Dhaka College. “Individuals fought for democracy, however now they’re afraid to step outdoors their properties. That doesn’t give a constructive signal concerning the state of our regulation enforcement.”
Nevertheless, retired Lieutenant Basic Jahangir Alam Chowdhury, who’s in command of Bangladesh’s Ministry of House Affairs, retired Lieutenant Basic Jahangir Alam Chowdhury, has dismissed these issues, claiming that the federal government is appropriately coping with the growing crime price.
“You’ll really feel tonight that our regulation enforcement actions have elevated considerably,” Chowdhury advised reporters throughout an emergency information convention at 3am on February 24 – hours after a wave of muggings in several elements of Dhaka sparked panic amongst residents.
‘By no means seen such a foul scenario’
In a single incident, Anwar Hossain, a jeweller, was attacked outdoors his residence whereas carrying gold price roughly 28,100,000 taka ($232,000) in money. Six males on bikes tried to grab his bag. When he resisted, they shot him and fled. With gunshot wounds in each legs, Hossein is now present process remedy at Dhaka Medical Faculty Hospital.
The incident, captured on video, went viral and sparked outrage and protests throughout Dhaka, with demonstrators demanding Chowdhury’s resignation. Between February 1 and February 26, dozens of violent crimes – together with homicide, rape, theft and extortion – nationwide have been reported in native media, with grotesque movies and firsthand accounts from victims circulated broadly on social media.
“There was theft and snatching earlier than, however now, it’s out of restrict,” mentioned Rahmat Ullah, a rickshaw driver in his 50s. He added that he had “by no means seen such a foul scenario” in additional than 17 years of labor. His passengers have been victims of assaults too, Ullah mentioned.
“I used to avoid wasting up the cash I earned over 15 to twenty days and ship it residence by way of a financial institution. Now, no matter I earn every day, I ship again residence instantly [via a mobile financial service].”
Regardless of this, the federal government has been hesitant to acknowledge the disaster. Asif Nazrul, the adviser for the Legislation, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs ministry, conceded authorities shortcomings, however insisted that the interim administration below Nobel Laureate Muhammad Yunus was doing all it might.
“Generally, the scenario was good, generally extraordinarily dangerous,” Nazrul mentioned. “However we’re making relentless efforts to manage the scenario.”
For a lot of Bangladeshis, these assurances ring hole.
Protests have erupted throughout college campuses, led by a number of scholar teams, particularly after a wave of reported rapes throughout the nation – of which Al Jazeera might independently confirm not less than 10. The protesters have demanded the speedy resignation of the House Affairs adviser and pressing motion to deal with the deteriorating regulation and order scenario.
“My dad and mom fear each time I step outdoors, and that is the fact for all ladies like me. We simply need to hustle by way of our each day life not being raped or hijacked and make it residence safely with none concern,” mentioned Eti Akter, one of many protesters, advised Al Jazeera. “Life now feels extra unsafe than ever.”
Such insecurity was beforehand related to the “thugs” of the Chhatra League, the scholar wing of Hasina’s Awami League, mentioned Tanvir Rifat, one other protester. Now, the Awami League is gone, however the crime has solely grown.
“This isn’t the Bangladesh we hoped to see after the mass rebellion. It seems like the whole lot might be snatched away at any second,” Rifat mentioned. He in contrast “the streets of Dhaka” with Gotham, the fictional, crime-riddled metropolis from the DC universe. “However, sadly, we don’t have a Batman.”
Tawohidul Haque, against the law analyst and affiliate professor at Dhaka College’s Institute of Social Welfare and Analysis, advised Al Jazeera that one of many key indicators of an enhancing crime scenario is whether or not folks really feel secure at residence, outdoors and whereas commuting.”Individuals now don’t really feel secure any extra,” he mentioned.
Farisa Nusrat, a Dhaka College scholar, mentioned she avoids staying out late. “My dad and mom don’t permit it any extra. Even when I keep, they maintain calling me,” she mentioned.
Many personal college college students from totally different establishments are actually demanding on-line lessons throughout Ramadan, citing security issues.
Authorities struggles
On February 8, the federal government launched Operation Satan Hunt, a joint army and police crackdown that was meant to deal with the rising crime wave. However whereas greater than 9,000 arrests have been made, violent crime continues unabated.
Mubashar Hasan, a political analyst, believes the interim authorities is struggling to keep up order. “In contrast to an elected authorities with a unified chain of command, the present administration consists of figures from totally different backgrounds with competing priorities,” he advised Al Jazeera.
“Whereas there isn’t any lack of intention to curb crime, their capability to take action stays restricted.”
After Chowdhury’s, the House Affairs adviser, February 24 information convention, police arrested 248 folks allegedly concerned in varied legal actions in several elements of Dhaka, inside 24 hours.
However “arrests imply nothing if we don’t really feel secure on the streets,” Hassan, the 21-year-old scholar, mentioned.
As concern spreads, some residents have taken safety into their very own arms. In a number of neighbourhoods, locals have shaped self-defence patrols, armed with sticks and batons to fend off muggers. In a single surprising case, two males suspected of mugging have been crushed and hung the other way up from a Dhaka footbridge by an indignant crowd on February 25. That very same night time, one other suspected mugger was crushed to loss of life.
“That is what occurs when folks lose religion in regulation enforcement – they resort to vigilante justice,” mentioned Tawohidul Haque, an affiliate professor at Dhaka College’s Institute of Social Welfare and Analysis.
In January alone, 16 folks have been killed in mob violence nationwide, in keeping with the rights physique Ain O Salish Kendra.
Specialists attribute the surge in crime to the political turmoil following Hasina’s removing.
“A sudden energy shift creates unrest and an influence vacuum – an atmosphere the place lawbreakers thrive,” mentioned criminology assistant professor Sakib. “Criminals noticed this instability as a chance, which is why crime has peaked.”
Sakib additionally identified that Bangladesh Police, the first regulation enforcement company, are struggling to regain public belief. “In the course of the lethal protest in opposition to Hasina, police have been broadly accused of human rights violations and have been seen as an adversary of the folks. This lack of ‘ethical authority’ has weakened their potential to perform successfully.”
Since Hasina’s August removing, the Yunus authorities has moved out the heads of every of Bangladesh’s 50 police stations for allegedly being near Hasina’s celebration.
“New officers aren’t aware of their assigned areas. They lack informants and haven’t had time to develop a complete crime-fighting technique,” Sakib mentioned. All of this, he added, “has created a vacuum that criminals are exploiting”.
One other driving pressure behind the crime wave is the discharge on bail of convicted criminals – a few of whom have been as soon as listed as “prime terror” figures – after the political transition, a senior Dhaka Metropolitan Police officer mentioned.
“We’ve experiences that many of those people have returned to crime, reviving previous extortion rackets and gang operations,” the officer mentioned, talking on situation of anonymity. “We plan to attraction for bail cancellations, however the situation is that many of those criminals have been bailed by way of the affect of politicians who now maintain energy.”
Sakid mentioned: “Mass bail for convicted criminals was finished so quickly, and it spreads a detrimental message to the folks in society. Although it is a judicial matter, the sheer pace at which terror-listed figures have been freed is alarming. Public security ought to have been rigorously assessed earlier than permitting these people again onto the streets.”
Weapons looted throughout political uprisings have additionally discovered their method into legal arms, fulling an increase in armed muggings. Movies of masked gangs wielding weapons have unfold concern throughout social media.
Hasan, the political analyst, argues {that a} democratically elected authorities can be far more practical in restoring regulation and order.
“A political authorities elected by the folks can have rather more energy and legitimacy,” he mentioned.
The interim authorities has but to announce a concrete timeline for elections. Nevertheless, Yunus’s press secretary, Shafiqul Alam, advised the media on February 24 that polls might happen on the newest by March 2026.
However for a lot of younger Bangladeshis, every single day and not using a sense of safety seems like a betrayal.
“We took to the streets final yr for a safer Bangladesh the place the usual of dwelling might be ensured by the state, and now we’re on the mercy of criminals, maybe patronised by the politicians who will rule the nation within the close to future,” Rifat, the protester, mentioned.
“What was the purpose?”
