Political violence kills 9, mob attacks claim 31 lives in June: HRSS

Political violence claimed nine lives and injured 346 people in 58 incidents across Bangladesh in June, while mob violence killed 31 people and injured 69 others in 63 incidents, according to a report released Thursday by the Human Rights Support Society (HRSS).

The report said political violence intensified from May, when five people were killed and 289 injured.

Internal clashes within the BNP accounted for 21 incidents, leaving three people dead and at least 146 injured. Eight clashes between BNP and Jamaat activists killed two people and injured 36, while 14 BNP-Awami League clashes left two dead and 115 injured.

Five BNP-NCP clashes injured 18 people, five BNP clashes with other political parties injured nine, and five incidents involving various political groups left two people dead and 22 injured.

Among those killed in political violence were four BNP activists, two Awami League activists, one Islami Chhatra Shibir member, one United People's Democratic Front (UPDF) member, and one member of an extremist group, the report said.

HRSS documented 63 incidents of mob violence stemming from allegations of theft, robbery, snatching, local disputes, dominance, and religious defamation, resulting in 31 deaths and 69 injuries.

The report also recorded 29 incidents in which 66 law enforcement personnel were assaulted or injured while performing traffic duties, conducting operations, attempting prisoner rescues, or responding to mob violence.

Violence against journalists also persisted, with 39 incidents affecting 47 media workers. At least 28 journalists were injured, five assaulted, nine threatened, and five detained, while 12 journalists were named in seven criminal cases, according to the report.

Inside prisons, seven inmates died during the month, including four convicted prisoners and three undertrial detainees. The deceased included one Awami League activist, one BNP activist and five other inmates.

The report documented 12 attacks targeting minority communities, leaving seven people injured and causing vandalism to 12 temples, 11 idols and seven homes. It also reported the gang rape of an Indigenous woman.

Violence against women and girls remained widespread, with 352 victims recorded in June. Among them, 106 were raped, including 75 children. The report said 19 women and girls were gang-raped, while two girls were killed after being raped.

Another 94 women and girls, including 49 children, experienced sexual harassment. Dowry-related violence left four women dead, four injured and two driven to suicide.

Domestic violence claimed the lives of 57 women, injured 48, and drove 36 women to suicide, while one woman sustained injuries in an acid attack, the report added.

HRSS also documented abuse against 291 children, including 54 child deaths and 237 cases of physical or psychological violence.

HRSS Executive Director Ejazul Islam said Bangladesh's human rights situation remained "in a sensitive and evolving phase," with political tensions and public security concerns continuing to pose significant challenges.