22 killed in mob violence, 6 in political clashes in April: HRSS

Mob violence claimed 22 lives, while political violence led to the deaths of six people across the country in April, according to a report by the Human Rights Support Society (HRSS).

The report said 44 mob violence incidents were recorded last month over allegations including theft, robbery, snatching, dominance disputes and religious defamation. These incidents left 22 people dead and 39 others injured.

During the same period, 98 incidents of political violence were reported nationwide, resulting in the deaths of six political activists and injuries to 533 others, including party workers and civilians.

In a statement issued today (5 May), HRSS said the report was prepared based on news reports from 16 national media outlets as well as its own monitoring and fact-finding investigations.

The organisation noted that political violence and casualties declined in April compared to March. In March, 18 people were killed and 912 injured in 113 incidents of political violence, according to HRSS data.

The report further said that internal conflicts within the BNP accounted for a large share of political violence in April, with 40 incidents leaving 247 injured and four dead. There were also 12 clashes between BNP and Jamaat-e-Islami, causing 113 injuries, while 13 BNP-Awami League clashes left 58 injured. In addition, three BNP-NCP clashes injured 26 people.

HRSS said most political violence stemmed from dominance struggles, internal rivalries, political clashes, and extortion-related disputes. 

The organisation also highlighted a rise in restrictions on freedom of expression. It said at least 23 people were arrested in 14 incidents, while nine cases were filed over issues including social media posts, criticism of political figures, and allegations of hurting religious sentiments.

Regarding attacks on journalists, the report said 75 journalists were harassed or abused in 40 incidents during April, while three journalists were arrested and five were named in separate cases.