Special Report
Human Rights Situation Report Bangldeash · January–September 2026
HUMAN RIGHTS SITUATION REPORT
BANGLADESH · JANUARY–SEPTEMBER 2026
Special Human Rights Monitoring Report of HRSS · Dated 19 October 2026 · Based on news from 16 national media outlets and HRSS-collected information
AT A GLANCE
|
1,013+ Political violence incidents ▲ 46% vs 692 in 2025 |
73+ Killed in political violence ▼ 32% vs 107 in 2025 |
6,473+ Injured in political violence ▲ 16% vs 5,579 in 2025 |
518+ Journalists tortured or harassed ▲ 52% vs 340 in 2025 |
|
187+ Killed in mob violence / public lynching |
491 Unidentified bodies recovered |
95+ Deaths in prison custody ▲ vs 61 in 2025 |
56+ Attacks on minority communities ▲ vs 22 in 2025 |
|
145 Workers killed (torture of workers) ▲ vs 74 in 2025 |
2,404+ Women & girl children victims of violence ▲ 59% vs 1,511 in 2025 |
1,810+ Children victims of violence ▲ vs 1,065 in 2025 |
5,644+ Party leaders & activists arrested |
▸ “+” marks figures the report gives as minimums (“at least”). Year-on-year comparisons are as stated in the report (Jan–Sep 2025).
POLITICAL VIOLENCE
|
1,013+ Incidents of political violence ▲ 46% vs 692 in 2025 |
73+ People killed ▼ 32% vs 107 in 2025 |
6,473+ People injured ▲ 16% vs 5,579 in 2025 |
Clashes by parties involved
|
Parties |
Incidents |
Injured |
Killed |
|
BNP – BNP (intra-party) |
342 |
2,632 |
40 |
|
BNP – Jamaat |
321 |
2,190 |
11 |
|
BNP – Awami League |
93 |
545 |
9 |
|
BNP – NCP |
47 |
320 |
- |
|
Awami League – NCP |
5 |
58 |
- |
|
Awami League – Jamaat |
2 |
3 |
1 |
|
Awami League – Awami League |
1 |
- |
1 |
|
BNP – Other parties |
128 |
320 |
- |
|
Among other parties |
74 |
405 |
11 |
|
TOTAL |
1,013 |
6,473 |
73 |
▸ 931 incidents (91%) involved intra-BNP feuds or BNP versus other parties.
Who was killed (by political identity)
|
Affiliation |
Killed |
Share |
|
BNP |
46 |
63% |
|
Jamaat |
8 |
11% |
|
Awami League |
6 |
8% |
|
Extremist |
1 |
n/a |
|
Other parties / unknown (incl. 1 ordinary woman) |
12 |
n/a |
|
TOTAL |
73 |
|
Other indicators
|
88+ Attacks on party leaders & activists by miscreants |
52 Killed in those attacks (BNP 30, AL 11, Jamaat 5, other 6) |
100+ Injured in those attacks |
150+ Political persons shot in political violence |
▸ The report also records thousands of incidents of clashes, looting, vandalism and arson at houses, businesses and party offices.
ELECTION VIOLENCE
|
402+ Election-centred violent incidents |
2,623+ People injured |
13+ People killed |
600+ Business establishments, houses & election offices attacked |
Election violence by clash type
|
Clash type |
Incidents |
Injured |
Killed |
|
BNP – BNP (intra-party) |
123 |
941+ |
8 |
|
BNP – Jamaat |
234 |
1,438+ |
4 |
|
BNP – Awami League |
3 |
3 |
1 |
|
BNP – NCP |
16 |
141 |
- |
|
BNP – Other parties |
17 |
63 |
- |
|
Among other parties |
10 |
38 |
- |
|
TOTAL (as stated) |
402+ |
2,623+ |
13+ |
▸ Data note: the incident and injured rows sum to 403 and 2,624, one above the stated totals; stated totals are shown.
▸ Of 13 killed: BNP 9, Jamaat 2, Awami League 1, unknown political identity 1.
|
12+ Election incidents involving women (Jan–Mar) |
18+ Women harassed (17 Jamaat supporters, 1 Islami Andolan) |
6+ Women injured |
PRESS FREEDOM & FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION
Torture and harassment of journalists
|
288+ Incidents ▲ 22% vs 236 in 2025 |
518+ Journalists tortured or harassed ▲ 52% vs 340 in 2025 |
297+ Journalists injured ▲ vs 209 in 2025 |
87 Journalists humiliated |
|
77 Journalists threatened |
20 Journalists detained |
19 Cases under the Cyber Security Act 2026 (journalists) |
51 Journalists accused in those cases |
Cyber-law cases and expression-related actions
|
40 Cases under Cyber Security Ordinance 2025 / Act 2026 ▲ vs 18 cases in 2025 |
113 Persons accused ▲ vs 25 in 2025 |
55 Persons arrested ▲ vs 13 in 2025 |
|
12 Detained over posts about the Prime Minister |
21 Detained over criticism of other political persons / issues |
24 Detained over religious-sentiment / Quran desecration allegations (24 cases) |
▸ Also reported: 29 detained over cyberbullying, Facebook criticism and similar; for criticism of political persons and issues, 4 killed, 4 tortured, 20 cases filed and 12 dismissed from jobs or similarly punished; 2 beaten in religious-sentiment incidents.
Obstruction of meetings and gatherings
|
58+ Meetings & gatherings obstructed by law enforcement |
439+ People injured |
46+ People detained from venues |
MOB VIOLENCE, CUSTODY DEATHS & UNIDENTIFIED BODIES
Mob violence and public lynching
|
398+ Incidents |
187+ People killed |
401+ People injured |
Extrajudicial killings (custody, torture, shooting, “gunfights”)
|
17+ Deaths involving law enforcement ▼ vs 28 in 2025 |
12 Custody / torture |
2 Gunshots |
3 “Gunfights” |
▸ A further 10+ died from causes such as falling or drowning while fleeing law enforcement (7 in 2025). One auto-rickshaw driver died after becoming mentally ill when police seized his vehicle.
Deaths in prison custody
|
95+ Accused persons died in prisons ▲ 56% vs 61 in 2025 |
40 Convicts |
55 Undertrial detainees |
20 Banned Awami League & affiliates (BNP 1, ordinary prisoners 74) |
Unidentified bodies recovered
|
Condition of body |
Bodies |
|
Hanging |
87 |
|
Multiple injuries |
74 |
|
In sacks |
46 |
|
Throat cut |
35 |
|
Hands and feet tied |
31 |
|
Other circumstances |
218 |
|
TOTAL (465 incidents) |
491 |
Enforced disappearance
▸ Two individual allegations are described (April, Mongla, Bagerhat, allegedly by persons identifying as Coast Guard; August, Mirpur, Dhaka, allegedly by plain-clothes DB police). No aggregate count is given in the report.
MINORITIES, BORDER INCIDENTS & MIGRANTS
Attacks on religious minorities
|
56+ Attacks on minority communities ▲ vs 22 in 2025 |
62 People injured ▲ vs 5 in 2025 |
21 Temples attacked / vandalised ▲ vs 5 in 2025 |
|
20 Idols attacked / vandalised ▼ vs 37 in 2025 |
47 Residences attacked / vandalised ▲ vs 38 in 2025 |
4 Land-grabbing incidents ▲ vs 3 in 2025 |
▸ A woman of a small ethnic group was also a victim of gang rape.
India–Bangladesh border
|
43 Attack incidents ▼ vs 61 in 2025 |
13 Killed by BSF ▼ vs 23 in 2025 |
39 Injured (22 by gunshots) ▲ vs 34 in 2025 |
|
44 Detained ▼ vs 56 in 2025 |
173+ Pushed in |
700+ Attempted push-ins |
▸ Also: 1 person killed by gunfire from Khasia residents on the Sylhet border; 2 bodies found at the border.
Bangladesh–Myanmar border
|
24 Violent incidents |
1 Killed |
6 Injured |
|
6 Shot |
83 Detained |
8 / 5 Killed / injured by Arakan Army landmines ▼ injured vs 12 in 2025 |
▸ Migrants: the report cites the Saudi Arabia fire, a Kolkata hotel fire and deaths of migration-aspirants in the Mediterranean as safe-migration concerns; no counts are given.
LABOUR RIGHTS
|
582 Incidents of torture of workers ▲ vs 176 in 2025 |
145 Workers killed ▲ vs 74 in 2025 |
1,263+ Workers injured ▲ vs 828 in 2025 |
390+ Workplace-accident deaths ▲ vs 104 in 2025 |
|
26 Detained in wage and allowance movements |
3 Domestic workers killed ▼ vs 4 in 2025 |
7 Domestic workers tortured |
5 Domestic workers died mysteriously |
VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN & CHILDREN
|
2,404+ Women & girl children victims of violence ▲ 59% vs 1,511 in 2025 |
657+ Rape victims (392, or 60%, under 18) |
130 Gang rape victims (20% of rape victims) |
1,810+ Children victims of violence ▲ vs 1,065 in 2025 |
|
696+ Sexual harassment victims (276, or 40%, children) |
29 Killed after rape |
457 Killed in domestic violence |
32 Killed in dowry-related torture |
Jan–Sep 2026 compared with Jan–Sep 2025
|
Indicator |
2026 |
2025 |
|
Women & girl children victims of violence |
2,404+ |
1,511 |
|
Rape victims |
657+ |
663 |
|
of whom under 18 |
392 |
393 |
|
Gang rape victims |
130 |
152 |
|
Killed after rape |
29 |
19 |
|
Suicide after rape |
2 |
9 |
|
Sexual harassment (2025: “sexual violence”) |
696+ |
326 |
|
of whom children |
276 |
193 |
|
Dowry torture: killed |
32 |
24 |
|
Dowry torture: injured |
35 |
21 |
|
Dowry torture: suicide |
5 |
4 |
|
Domestic violence: killed |
457 |
274 |
|
Domestic violence: injured |
279 |
63 |
|
Domestic violence: suicide |
219 |
132 |
|
Acid violence: injured |
5 |
2 |
|
Acid violence: killed |
n/a |
2 |
|
Children victims: killed |
494+ |
209 |
|
Children victims: physical & mental torture |
1,316 |
856 |
|
Children victims of violence (TOTAL) |
1,810+ |
1,065 |
CASES & ARRESTS
|
270+ Cases against leaders & activists of Sheikh Hasina, Awami League, BNP, Jamaat, and under anti-terrorism laws ▲ vs 166 in 2025 |
5,809 Persons named as accused ▼ vs 10,385 in 2025 |
32,433 Unnamed accused ▼ vs 34,137 in 2025 |
|
5,644+ Awami League, BNP & Jamaat leaders and activists arrested |
63,000+ Arrested in special joint-force operations |
3,145+ Teenagers detained in September (800+ released to guardians) |
Arrests by affiliation
|
Affiliation |
Arrested |
|
Awami League |
4,827+ |
|
BNP |
609 |
|
Jamaat |
145 |
|
NCP |
43 |
|
Extremists |
37 |
|
TOTAL (as stated) |
5,644+ |
▸ Data note: the affiliation rows sum to 5,661, 17 above the stated total of 5,644; the stated total is shown. In Jan–Sep 2025 the report recorded 44,962 arrests in various cases, mostly Awami League and affiliates.
HRSS CALL TO ACTION
HRSS calls for impartial and transparent investigation of every killing, death in custody or prison, enforced disappearance and case of torture, with those responsible held accountable, and for stronger codes of conduct and a more capable Election Commission to prevent political and election violence.
It urges protection of freedom of expression, the media and peaceful assembly, including reform of cyber-law provisions in line with international human rights standards, and stronger protection and speedy trials for women, children, minorities and workers.
HRSS also recommends stronger border management with diplomatic action on border killings and push-ins, better medical care and independent inspection in prisons, and a National Human Rights Action Plan developed with the National Human Rights Commission, civil society and partners.
Reports Files
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Bangladesh_HR_Report_Jan-Sep_2026_English