Police headquarters responds to TIB's report

Police headquarters has said that Transparency International Bangladesh's claim of 605 murders during the current government's first 100 days has significant limitations, adding that the number is consistent with historical crime rates and does not represent an abnormal increase.

In a press release issued on Monday, June 8, police headquarters said the figures reported in media based on TIB's statement came to their attention, but analysis of police records reveals several important limitations.

According to police data, 605 murder cases were recorded in March and April. Among these, 336 were related to previous enmity, 146 to family disputes, 69 to property and economic disputes, 19 to sudden assault, nine to dominance feuds, five to love or extramarital affairs, six to snatching, 15 to riots, gang activity, kidnapping and others, and only three were political murders.

Police headquarters said there are five methodological problems with the media report. First, the number does not exceed the normal murder trend rate but is consistent with historical rates. Long-term police statistics show annual murder cases have fluctuated between 3,000 and 4,500 over the past decade. Projecting 605 murders over two months to an annual figure gives approximately 3,630 murders, which falls within the average range of murders over the past decade. Therefore, there is no factual basis to call this an abnormal increase.

Second, with Bangladesh's current population of approximately 18 crore, the murder rate over the past two months is 0.34 per lakh population, which is not considered high by global standards. Presenting numerical analysis without context creates public confusion.

Third, according to detailed police data, only three of the 605 murders (0.5 per cent) were politically motivated. The majority were caused by personal enmity, family disputes or economic conflicts. Without this classification analysis, the true picture does not emerge.

Fourth, the report did not present comparative data on murders during the same period under previous governments. Claiming an alarming rate without statistical context from previous administrations is methodologically incomplete.

Fifth, in the changed situation after August 5, 2024, police are actively recording cases, which actually indicates transparency and accountability, not weakness.

Earlier on Sunday, TIB executive director Iftekharuzzaman said at a press conference that the law and order situation during the first 100 days of the current government has been quite fragile, with murders, robberies, thefts, snatching, rapes, violence against women and children, looting and anarchy continuing.