On 19 July, around 12am, studio proprietor Mohammad Shahin, 41, was abducted from Sutrapur in the capital by a group of miscreants. His body was recovered eleven days later, on 30 July, from the Kamalapur Railway Station area. In another shocking incident, unidentified assailants shot Tahmina Rahman Ranu, 42, dead in front of her family members at their residence in Darussalam early on 4 August. Just a day earlier, on 3 August, Union Parishad member Alauddin was kidnapped in broad daylight from in front of his house in Baksganj, Nangalkot of Cumilla. Minutes later, he was shot dead.

Such incidents are no longer isolated. Murders and various other forms of violent crime have become disturbingly routine, even as the government intensifies its efforts to control the situation.

According to data from the Police Headquarters, a total of 2,878 murder cases were recorded at police stations across the country between September last year and June this year. During the same period, law enforcers also documented 610 incidents of dacoity, 1,525 cases of robbery, 818 kidnappings, 2,302 burglaries, and 7,310 thefts. In addition, 16,828 cases of violence against women and children were reported.

The statistics do not include July and August of last year, which witnessed a period of mass unrest that eventually led to the fall of the Awami League government. Therefore, the crimes committed during those two politically turbulent months were not considered in the data.

A breakdown of the Police Headquarters data reveals that from January to June 2024, there were 1,553 murders, 183 cases of dacoity, 688 robberies, 281 kidnappings, 1,355 burglaries, and 9,002 incidents of violence against women and children. When compared with the first six months of 2025, the numbers show a sharp rise. From January to June 2025, police recorded 1,931 murders, 367 dacoities, 972 robberies, 516 kidnappings, 1,353 burglaries, and 11,033 cases of violence against women and children—pointing to a significant surge in overall crime.

Manik Mia, elder brother of the murdered Shahin, said his brother had been threatened just two days before the abduction. A group including Akash, Nasiuddin, Sayed, and two or three others—some reportedly armed with legal weapons—had warned Shahin of possible abduction. Despite a general diary filed with Sutrapur Police Station, police failed to rescue him. Even after the body was recovered and a murder case was filed, not all of the suspects have been arrested. Manik believes stronger police vigilance could have saved his brother's life.

Sohel Kuddus, the investigation officer of the case, confirmed that two suspects have been arrested and further action will be taken once the postmortem report is available.

The interim government launched the "Combing Operation" on 14 July. Earlier, it had rolled out "Operation Devil Haunt" on 8 February. However, despite these efforts, crime continues to spiral, with many citizens expressing concern over the worsening state of law and order.

Colonel Shafiqul Islam, Staff Colonel of the Military Operations Directorate at the Army Headquarters, said that under the magistracy powers granted by the government, military personnel can conduct searches and arrests at checkpoints and through raids. However, he pointed out that once suspects are handed over, it is up to the law enforcement agency to complete the legal procedures and ensure justice.

Human rights lawyer Manzil Murshid said that the interim government's operations have failed to produce effective results. Crime analyst and university lecturer Dr Tawohidul Haque echoed the concern, noting that although arrests are being made, they have not significantly improved the law and order situation.