On 19 July 2024, the Government of Bangladesh led by former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina imposed curfew and deployed Bangladesh Army to quell students’ protests during protests against government job quotas across the country from 5 July 2024.[1] This ultimately led to the fall of Sheikh Hasina’s government on 4th August 2024 and Dr Mohammad Yunus assumed power as Chief Advisor of the Interim Government on 8th August 2024.[2]
One year after the July Revolution, Bangladesh has turned into a ochlocracy. Since 17 September 2024, the Government of Bangladesh gave the special executive magistracy powers to commissioned officers holding the rank of captain or above in the Bangladesh Armed Forces (including those on deputation to the Bangladesh Coast Guard and Border Guard Bangladesh) to take necessary legal actions for offences under sections 64, 65, 83, 84, 86, 95(2), 100, 105, 107, 109, 110, 126, 127, 128, 130, 133, and 142 of the Code of Criminal Procedure.[3]
There is no improvement of law and order situation despite effective military rule. At least, 466 persons were affected by mob violence from August 2024 to June 2025 including killing of 185 persons and injuries to 281 persons. It means more than one person has been killed or injured in mob violence as per the chart given below.
| Months | Killed[4] | Injured[5] | Total |
| Aug-24 | 21 | 4 | 25 |
| Sep-24 | 28 | 22 | 50 |
| Oct-24 | 19 | 19 | 38 |
| Nov-24 | 14 | 11 | 25 |
| Dec-24 | 14 | 19 | 33 |
| Jan-25 | 16 | 18 | 34 |
| Feb-25 | 11 | 19 | 30 |
| Mar-25 | 20 | 56 | 76 |
| Apr-25 | 18 | 28 | 46 |
| May-25 | 13 | 38 | 51 |
| Jun-25 | 11 | 47 | 58 |
| Total | 185 | 281 | 466 |
In comparison, in 2023, about 51 persons were lynched to death[6] against the death of 185 persons in 11 months, an increase of 394% or 400% mob lynching deaths under Dr Yunus.
The victims include include Roksana Begum Ruby (53), her son Russel Mia (35) and daughter Jonaki Akhter (25) who were lynched to death on 3 July 2025 in Muradnagar upazila of Comilla and former Chief Election Commissioner KM Nurul Huda who was assaulted, garlanded with shoes and subjected to public humiliation by a mob in Uttara, Dhaka on 22 June 2025 in the presence of the police.
On 3 July 2025, three persons identified as Roksana Begum Ruby (53), her son Russel Mia (35) and daughter Jonaki Akhter (25) were beaten to death by the mob, while another daughter, Ruma Akhter (27) was critically injured in a brutal mob attack at Koroi Bari village in Muradnagar upazila of Comilla. The attack was carried out by a group of around 100–150 people for alleged drug peddling and other criminal activities by the victims. Tensions escalated after an arbitration meeting over complaints of theft and drug dealing and an alleged assault on local Chairman Shimul Billal and ward member Bacchu by Ruby.[7]
On 22 June 2025, former Chief Election Commissioner KM Nurul Huda was assaulted and subjected to public humiliation by a mob in Uttara, Dhaka. The members of the mob entered his house, dragged him out, physically attacked him and placed shoes around his neck before handing him over to the police. They threw eggs at him and assaulted him physically in presence of police personnel.[8]
Dr Mohammad Yunus has adopted mob rule as the means to remain in power. The Interim Government has emboldened these student protestors by giving impunity: it barred the law enforcement personnel from arresting or filing cases against anyone involved in the July-August uprising[9] in which at least 44 policemen were killed![10] Embolden by the impunity, the Anti-Discrimination Students Movement members have become the mob themselves.
After induction of the Anti Discrimination Students Movement leaders i.e. Nahid Islam as Adviser for Posts, Telecommunications, Information Technology and Ministry of Information and Broadcasting to the Interim Government and Asif Mahmud as the Advisor of the Ministry of Youth and Sports,[11] Hasnat Abdullah has been appointed as the Convener of the movement.[12]
And Hasnat Abdullah was effectively let loose to carry out the tasks illegally which cannot be done by the Interim Government legally.
About 21 Supreme Court and High Court judges were forced to resign because of the protests by the Anti Discrimination Students Movement.
On 10 August 2024, six judges of the Supreme Court including Chief Justice Obaidul Hassan, and Justice M Enayetur Rahim, Justice Md Abu Zafor Siddique, Justice Jahangir Hossain Selim, Justice Md Shahinur Islam and Justice Kashefa Hussain were forced to resign following protests by the Anti Discrimination Students Movement.[13]
On 15 October 2024, Hasnat Abdullah announced a siege of the High Court demanding the resignation of pro-Awami League judges. Abdullah announced that, “The streets will be shaken again to drive out the black vultures.”[14] On 16 October 2024, 12 High Court judges were barred from judicial work because of the protests by the Anti Discrimination Students Movement.[15]
On 19 November 2024, three judges of the High Court Justice Salma Masud Chowdhury, Justice Kazi Reza-ul-Haque, and Justice AKM Zahirul Haque had to resign after students made allegations of corruption.[16]
After forcing the resignation of the judges, Dr Yunus had set the sight on removing the President of Bangladesh. On 3 October 2024, Hasnat Abdullah demanded the removal of President Mohammed Shahabuddin from his verified Facebook account.[17] By 23 October, the Anti Discrimination Students Movement set a two-day deadline for Shahabuddin to step down. The students attempted to storm the presidential palace.[18] The President survived the protest.
Thereafter, the student protestors burnt down the headquarters of the Jatiya Party, formed by late President Hussain Muhammad Ershad on the night of 31 October 2024 at Kakrail area in the heart of the capital Dhaka.[19] Hasnat Abdullah, the student leader, claimed in a Facebook post that the Jatiya party was “a national betrayer” and justified the attacks.[20]
The Anti Discrimination Students Movement also continues to target journalists and others associated with Awami League and other 14 party alliances.
On 14 December 2024, Hasnat Abdullah threatened to “break the pens” of journalists, university teachers, intellectuals who advocate for the Awami League’s human rights, and have long supported fascism. He stated, “The pens that write in favour of fascism-we will break those pens again”.[21]
On 24 December 2024, a gang of Bangladesh student protesters led by Hasnat Abdullah, convener of the Anti Discrimination Students Movement, entered the offices of the City Group, who invest in Somoy Television and accused it of “spreading propaganda, twisting my comments, and accommodating the views of a fallen political party“. Immediately, five journalists including one Omar Faroque, a senior editor, were terminated from jobs without any reason because of intimidation by Hasnat Abdullah.[22]
On 8 January 2025, Hasnat Abdullah while speaking to journalists had issued a stern warning against extortionists, saying, “Whoever engages in extortion will have their hands broken.”[23]
No case has been registered against Hasnat Abdullah despite clear acts of criminal intimidation, and acts of violence as Hasnat Abdullah acts as the extra-constitutional authority in Bangladesh.
Increasingly, the BNP cadres too joined. The BNP leaders gave lip service but failed to reign in on the attacks.
On 9 July 2025, a businessman identified as Lal Chand @ Sohag was brutally hacked to death by a mob at gate No. 3 of Mitford Hospital in Old Dhaka over a turf war involving the local scrap metal business. The attackers not only killed Sohag but also crushed his head and body with stones and danced on his corpse, while bystanders and even security personnel stood by without intervening. Police alleged that local leaders and activists of the Jubo Dal, the youth wing of BNP were involved in the killing and five suspects have been arrested in connection with the case.[24]
The situation will only exacerbate if the Interim government continues to provide impunity and uses the mob as the means to remain in power.
[1]. Bangladesh imposes curfew, deploys army as job quota protests continue, Aljazeera, 19 Jul 2024, https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/7/19/bangladesh-imposes-curfew-deploys-army-as-job-quota-protests-continue
[2]. Muhammad Yunus takes oath as head of Bangladesh’s interim government, Aljazeera, 8 August 2024, https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/8/8/muhammad-yunus-takes-oath-as-head-of-bangladeshs-interim-government
[3]. Special magistracy powers of armed forces extended by two months, The Dhaka Tribune, 13 July 2025, https://www.dhakatribune.com/bangladesh/government-affairs/386278/special-magistracy-powers-of-armed-forces-extended
[4]. See Statistics on Human Rights Violations ‘Mob Beating’, August 2024 to June 2025, Ain o Salish Kendra (ASK), available at https://www.askbd.org/ask/statistics-on-human-rights-violations/
[5]. See monthly Human Rights Monitoring Reports from August 2024 to June 2025 by Manabadhikar Shongskriti Foundation (msf), available at https://www.msf.org.bd/Monthly%20Reports.php
[6]. Human Rights Situation 2024, Ain O Salish Kendra, Dhaka, 31 December 2024, https://www.askbd.org/ask/2024/12/31/%e0%a6%ac%e0%a6%be%e0%a6%82%e0%a6%b2%e0%a6%be%e0%a6%a6%e0%a7%87%e0%a6%b6%e0%a7%87%e0%a6%b0-%e0%a6%ae%e0%a6%be%e0%a6%a8%e0%a6%ac%e0%a6%be%e0%a6%a7%e0%a6%bf%e0%a6%95%e0%a6%be%e0%a6%b0-%e0%a6%aa-2/
[7]. 3 of a family killed in mob attack in Cumilla’s Muradnagar, The Business Standard, 3 July 2025, https://www.tbsnews.net/bangladesh/3-beaten-death-suspicion-drug-dealing-cumilla-1179896
[8]. Mob violence: Govt cannot evade responsibility by statements alone, Prothom Alo, 24 June 2025, https://en.prothomalo.com/bangladesh/v6yiam7e9g
[9]. Bangladesh immunity order sparks fears of justice denied, RFI, 28/10/2024, https://www.rfi.fr/en/international-news/20241028-bangladesh-immunity-order-sparks-fears-of-justice-denied
[10]. Bangladesh: 44 Policemen killed during July-August uprising, govt says, ANI, 25 October 2024, https://www.aninews.in/news/world/asia/bangladesh-44-policemen-killed-during-july-august-uprising-govt-says20241025225516/
[11]. Nahid gets ICT Ministry, Asif to head Sports Ministry, Banglanews24.com, 09 August 2024, https://www.banglanews24.com/english/politics/news/bd/153028.details
[12]. Hasnat named convener of Anti Discrimination Students Movement Committee, Dhaka Tribune, 22 Oct 2024, https://www.dhakatribune.com/bangladesh/362799/hasnat-named-convener-of-anti-discrimination
[13]. CJ, 5 other SC judges resign, The Daily Star, https://www.thedailystar.net/news/bangladesh/news/cj-5-other-sc-judges-resign-3674021 https://www.thedailystar.net/news/bangladesh/news/cj-5-other-sc-judges-resign-3674021
[14]. Coordinator Hasnat announces siege of High Court, bdnews24.com, 16 October 2024, https://bdnews24.com/bangladesh/6f653bfd7bff
[15]. Student protest on SC premises: 12 HC judges barred from judicial work, The Daily Star, 17 October 2024, https://www.thedailystar.net/news/bangladesh/news/student-protest-sc-premises-12-hc-judges-barred-judicial-work-3729306
[16]. 3 High Court Judges resign, Dhaka Tribune, 19 November 2024, https://www.dhakatribune.com/bangladesh/court/365638/3-high-court-judges-resign
[17]. Hasnat demands removal of president, The Daily Star, 4 October 2024, https://www.thedailystar.net/news/bangladesh/news/hasnat-demands-removal-president-3718971
[18]. Tensions grip Bangladesh as student protesters demand president’s resignation, Voice of America, 23 October 2024, https://www.voanews.com/a/tensions-grip-bangladesh-as-student-protesters-demand-president-s-resignation/7836343.html
[19]. Sheikh Hasina’s coalition party office in Dhaka attacked, set on fire, The Business Standard, 01 November 2024, https://www.business-standard.com/world-news/sheikh-hasina-s-coalition-party-office-in-dhaka-attacked-set-on-fire-124110100107_1.html
[20]. Attackers set fire to the headquarters of a Bangladesh party that backed ousted leader Sheikh Hasina, Associated Press, 1 November 2024, https://apnews.com/article/bangladesh-sheikh-hasina-muhammad-yunus-jatiya-party-8cfdec3ca4eea91a72c7bafc9c2b028b
[21] . Hasnat reiterates strong stance against media biased towards fascism, The Financial Express, 15 January 2025, https://today.thefinancialexpress.com.bd/politics-policies/hasnat-reiterates-strong-stance-against-media-biased-towards-fascism-1736873219
[22]. Bangladesh Protesters Enter TV Station Owners, Journalists Sacked, 24 December 2024, https://www.barrons.com/news/bangladesh-protesters-enter-tv-station-owners-journalists-sacked-d8adb8b0
[23]. Hands of extortionists will be broken: Hasnat Abdullah, Bangladesh First, 8 January 2025, https://bfirst.news/bangladesh/15190/hands-of-extortionists-will-be-broken-hasnat-abdullah
[24]. Govt and BNP – none can avoid responsibilities, Prothom Alo, 13 July 2025, https://en.prothomalo.com/opinion/editorial/7yfsyl4gfj
