Political clashes left 15 dead, 661 hurt in July

Rights body Human Rights Support Society (HRSS) has described the human rights situation in Bangladesh in July 2025 as "concerning", citing incidents of political violence, mob attacks, minority persecution, custodial deaths, and violence against women and children.

In a statement issued yesterday, the organisation also said incidents of interference with freedom of expression, attacks on journalists and workers, obstruction of assemblies, and deaths in prisons continued throughout the month. Crimes like extortion, theft, mugging, robbery, and murder also triggered public fear.

Attacks on political leaders and activists were reported at court premises and jail gates. In some cases, accused individuals were forcibly taken from police custody during attacks involving political activists, it said.

Additionally, tensions at the India border, provocations by the Border Security Force (BSF), pushbacks of Bangla-speaking people, killing, injury, and arrest of innocent Bangladeshis, as well as incidents of gunfire, landmine, and mortar shell explosions by Myanmar's Arakan Army along the border have raised serious concerns about the human rights situation, the HRSS said.

Citing incidents of July, it said that on July 16, five people were killed and over 100 injured in Gopalganj in clashes between joint forces and activists of the Awami League and the banned Chhatra League over a programme by the National Citizen Party.

HRSS said the victims were buried without postmortems, though three bodies were later exhumed. That day, AL activists also allegedly attacked the NCP event in Gopalganj municipal park with firearms, crude bombs, and sticks.

In Rangpur's Gangachara upazila, communal violence on July 26-27 saw at least 20 Hindu homes vandalised and looted after a teenager was arrested over an alleged defamatory social media post, HRSS said.

On July 9, scrap trader Md Sohag was beaten and hacked to death in front of Sir Salimullah Medical College Hospital in Old Dhaka. HRSS called it one of the most brutal killings of the month.

A Bangladesh Air Force training aircraft crashed into Milestone School and College in Uttara on July 21, killing at least 34 people, mostly students, and injuring more than 150.

HRSS reported 59 political violence incidents that left 15 people dead and 661 injured. Among the dead were six BNP, five AL, and four United People's Democratic Front (UPDF) activists. Thirteen additional attacks resulted in the deaths of four more individuals -- three BNP and one AL activist."

At least 27 journalists were assaulted or harassed in 17 incidents. Fifteen were injured, five threatened, and two named in cases.

Six attacks on minorities led to the vandalism of 20 homes, two temples, and two idols. One land grabbing attempt was also reported.

Thirty-two mob violence incidents left 12 dead and 39 injured. Some opposition activists were beaten by locals and students before being handed to police, HRSS said.

HRSS said six Bangladeshis were killed, four injured, and four arrested in eight border-related incidents involving BSF. The BSF also allegedly pushed in 367 people into Bangladesh during this time.

Separately, one person was injured in a landmine explosion by the Arakan Army along the Bangladesh-Myanmar border in Bandarban.

At least six people died in custody or during law enforcement operations. Five were shot dead by joint forces, and one woman, Firoza Ashrafi, allegedly died by suicide in police custody at Vatara Police Station.

Eight prisoners died in July -- three convicts and five under trial. Among them were AL leaders Sarowar Hossain Nannu and Yusuf Ali Mia.

Seventeen labour unrest incidents left five workers dead and 23 injured. Twenty-one others died in workplace accidents. A 12-year-old domestic worker died under suspicious circumstances in Dhaka, it said.

The report said at least 162 women and girls were victims of violence. Sixty-eight were raped, including 42 children under 18, while 14 were gang-raped. Two victims were murdered post-rape and two others took their own lives. At least 25 were sexually harassed, and two women died in dowry-related violence. A total of 39 women died in domestic violence incidents, five were injured, and 17 others died by suicide.

HRSS also documented that 233 children faced abuse in July -- 42 died, while 191 suffered physical and mental torture.

Thirty political cases were filed in July, naming 1,652 people and implicating 17,837 unnamed. Among the arrested, 587 were reportedly AL activists. Another 5,506 people -- mostly from AL, Jubo League, Swechchhasebak League, and BCL -- were arrested in special drives.

In connection with the Gopalganj violence, 15 cases were filed under the Anti-Terrorism Act against 16,208 people, including 1,252 named AL activists, it added.

HRSS urged the government to protect human rights and called on civil society, journalists, political leaders, and international groups to speak out against violations.