AN INCREASE in crimes that include murder, robbery, drug dealing, theft and, even, killing suggests that the law and order, which drastically declined soon after the August 2024 political changeover, has not yet been fully restored. The situation is worrying in view of the fact that the interim government, installed on August 8, 2024 after the overthrow of the Awami League government three days before, has already been in office for about 10 months. While other crimes continue apace, 111 people died and 4,892 became injured in 444 incidents of political violence, as rights group Ain O Salish Kendra says, between August 2024 and May 2025. Official police data show that 341 murder cases were filed in May, 336 in April, 316 in March and 300 in February. Although the police say that some murder cases recorded in the month under review, in fact, took place the month before, the proposition does not lessen the increase in crimes. Police data show that 177 robbery cases were filed in May, 149 in April, 171 in March and 153 in February. Sixty-seven cases of dacoity were reported in May, 46 in April, 74 in March and 60 in February.
An additional inspector general of police seeks to say that crime incidents seem high as the government has encouraged people to file cases while the police are also taking action in most of the cases. The remark appears self-defeating for the police as it could mean that the police did not take action in most of the cases before the political changeover. The same police official says that political parties are engaged in violence out of their frustration about the repression that they endured in past years. This remark not only seems to be something to sidestep the issue but also a way to provide legitimacy of a sort for the crimes. And, his hope for an improvement in law and order before the next general elections could very well appear hope against hope unless the police buckle down to stringent law enforcement. Many former and serving police officials believe that the police are yet to regain their morale because of the attacks on police personnel during July-August 2024 uprising and came to be charged with firing into protesters. A former inspector general of police says that there is no alternative to taking a hard line on decline in law and order.
The story of police yet to regain their morale has dragged on for way too long. The government should do whatever is needed for the police to regain their morale and fully reinstate law and order to stop crimes.