Dhaka, June 1 (IANS) As mob violence continues unabated across Bangladesh, at least 32 people were killed in separate incidents in May, while 53 unidentified bodies were recovered from various parts of the country, local media reported, citing a leading human rights organisation.
Dhaka-based Manabadhikar Shongskriti Foundation (MSF) released the findings on Sunday, raising serious concerns over public safety, the rule of law and the dire human rights situation in the country.
As per the findings, 71 people were critically injured in at least 69 separate incidents — marking a sharp rise from April, when 21 deaths and 49 injuries were recorded, Bangladesh’s leading newspaper The Daily Star reported.
“The number of people killed in mob violence rose from 21 to 32 in May, reflecting a clear rise in the tendency of people to take the law into their own hands,” MSF said in the report.
The figures indicated a sustained surge in fatalities, with 19 deaths recorded in March, 18 in February, 21 in January this year and 10 in December 2025.
Among the 32 deaths recorded in May, 14 were killed in allegations of theft, while four died following altercations. Additionally, two each were killed over allegations of robbery and rape or sexual assault.
The report further noted that at least 35 injured people were handed over to police, while mobs also targeted members of law enforcement.
According to the MSF, the recovery of 53 unidentified bodies during the period also remained a matter of concern, with bodies found in rivers, on roadsides, railway tracks and agricultural fields.
The rights body noted that the persistent discovery of unidentified bodies points to potential failure in criminal investigation and raises concerns about unresolved crimes and possible extrajudicial killings. It also recorded that deaths in custody rose from 6 to 7 during the same period.
The figures showed a worsening pattern of violence against women and children, with at least 326 such incidents recorded in May — 12 more than in April.
The number of rape cases rose by 40 per cent to 70, while gang-rape cases reached 16, and cases involving rape followed by murder climbed to 6 from 2 in April.
The MSF report documented 34 incidents of violence against journalists in May, with cases of legal harassment rising from 8 to 13, underscoring the consistent “structural pressure on freedom of expression”, Bangladeshi daily Dhaka Tribune reported.
It also referred to the obstruction of screening of a film, ‘Banalata Express’, in the Brahmanbaria district on Saturday, describing the incident as a clear violation of the rule of law and an example of growing mob culture.
–IANS
scor/sd/