Mob violence in Bangladesh has originated from within the interim government, Transparency International Bangladesh Executive Director Dr Iftekharuzzaman said, warning it could affect the 13th National Parliament elections.
Speaking after presenting TIB's report "One and Half Years After the Fall of Authoritarianism: Expectations and Achievements" at Midas Centre in Dhanmondi on Monday, he said the phenomenon had emerged from the Secretariat, the nerve centre of government administration.
"The mob originated from the Secretariat. The government has empowered the mob. If not controlled, it will influence the next parliamentary elections," he said, adding, "May there be no more election related violence. The risk may remain beyond February 12. The government is aware and has the power to act. We must learn from past elections and prevent violence this time."
On post July accountability, he questioned the legality of actions against journalists. "Journalists have been detained in a large number of cases on charges of involvement in murders during the July Movement. The question remains how much of this is justice and how much is revenge. It also raises doubts about whether it will be possible to identify the real criminals and bring them to justice." He stressed, "To ensure real accountability, we must identify those responsible for murder, human rights violations, corruption, money laundering and tax evasion and ensure fair and credible trials."
He said political parties and bureaucracy had failed to learn from the July Movement. "They want to maintain their own interests. That is why the consensus commission for an accountable government faced objections in every case." On implementation of the July Charter, he noted, "Decisions should follow majority opinion, which is common globally. Whether this will happen in Bangladesh remains to be seen. Even if a referendum gives a 'yes', implementation will depend on the goodwill of whoever forms the government."
Dr Iftekharuzzaman criticised the Broadcasting and Media Commission Ordinances, saying the interim government created new risks for press freedom. "The media has been particularly neglected. Forces inside and outside the government worked on this, and the government overpowered outside forces. The two media commissions are nothing more than a show off," he said. While acknowledging limited progress, such as the Judge Appointment Committee and Independent Judiciary Secretariat, he warned that judicial partisanship remains unresolved. "Some positive steps have been taken, but the next government must answer how effective the secretariat will be. Partisanship within the judiciary is still a major challenge."
TIB reported 600 incidents of political violence from August 2024 to December 2025, leaving 158 activists dead and 7,082 injured, with 401 incidents in 2025 alone causing 102 deaths. The BNP was linked to 550 cases, accounting for 91.7 per cent, followed by the Awami League at 20.7 per cent, Jamaat e Islami at 7.7 per cent and NCP at 1.2 per cent. Violence escalated after the fall of government, driven by attempts to control institutions and economic activities, including extortion at transport hubs, illegal stone extraction in Sylhet, and disputes over leases of bridges, markets, ghats, sand palaces and water bodies. At least 15 political leaders and activists were killed within 36 days of the election schedule announcement, while more than 50 attacks targeted minorities, alongside rising threats from deepfakes and AI driven disinformation.
TIB also reported 1,333 missing weapons, highlighting security concerns ahead of the elections, as only 9 to 10 per cent of required manpower is deployed. The watchdog warned that failure to recover looted firearms and plans to issue new licences to politicians could escalate violence. It criticised ineffective party disciplinary mechanisms and administrative partiality, citing transfers of field officials and adviser partisanship, prompting Jamaat, NCP and Islamic Movement to allege a lack of level playing field.
Further challenges include 27 High Court writ petitions over delimitation of 46 constituencies, 12,531 government primary schools deemed unfit as polling centres, questions over the capacity of 73 EC approved observer organisations, and complaints regarding nomination verification, disqualification over loan defaults and dual citizenship, and limitations in affidavit scrutiny.
