Nearly 4,000 abducted in 6yrs, mainly for ransom 

Bangladesh recorded 3,912 kidnapping incidents over the past six years, with cases surging to a six-year high in 2025, when 1,102 people were reported kidnapped, according to police statistics. The figure was about 71.65 per cent higher than the 642 cases recorded in 2024.

The upward trend has continued into 2026. Police Headquarters data show that more than 800 kidnapping incidents had been recorded nationwide by September, raising fresh concerns about public safety and the effectiveness of law enforcement efforts to contain the crime.

Primarily, victims are allegedly held for ransom. Some return home after money is paid; others are found dead, while the fate of some remains unknown.

The sharp rise raises critical questions about the factors driving kidnappings, the capacity of investigators to dismantle criminal networks and whether the official figures capture the full scale of the problem.

An analysis of police crime statistics shows that reported kidnappings remained relatively stable between 2021 and 2023 before rising significantly.

Bangladesh recorded 445 kidnapping cases in 2021, 460 in 2022 and 463 in 2023. The number rose to 642 in 2024 before jumping to 1,102 in 2025.

The 2025 total was 657 higher than the 2021 figure, representing an increase of nearly 148 per cent over four years. The most dramatic annual increase occurred between 2024 and 2025.

Monthly figures for 2025 also indicate a sustained pattern of kidnappings. Police data cited in the report show 105 victims in January, 78 in February, 83 in March, 88 in April, 82 in May, 80 in June, 90 in August, 96 in September and 110 in October.

During January�"October 2024, police recorded 501 kidnapping cases, compared with a substantially higher monthly average during the same period in 2025.

Separate Police Headquarters figures show that 691 kidnapping cases were filed nationwide between January and August 2026, including 129 in Dhaka Metropolitan Police areas.

These figures measure reported cases or victims, depending on the particular dataset. Police records alone do not establish how many incidents went unreported or how many victims were subsequently rescued.

Investigators identify no single motive behind the crime. Ransom remains a major concern, but police investigations also point to personal and family disputes, business conflicts, romantic relationships, revenge, social and political rivalries, and the misuse of digital communications.

The range of motives complicates investigations. While some cases may involve organised criminal groups seeking financial gain, others appear to stem from disputes between people who know one another.

The growing number of reported kidnappings has been accompanied by cases in which victims are killed.
In a recent incident in Chakaria upazila of Cox’s Bazar, the body of Isfatul Islam, a local Chhatra Dal leader, was recovered beside a highway about four hours after he was reportedly abducted. His hands and feet were tied. Police said preliminary findings pointed to a financial motive behind the abduction and killing.