Pervasive violence mostly against women, children marks first half of 2026: ASK

Bangladesh witnessed widespread human rights violations during the first half of 2026, with children and women remaining the most vulnerable to violence, while political clashes, mob killings and deaths in custody continued to raise concerns over public safety and accountability, according to human rights statistics published by Ain o Salish Kendra (ASK).

The rights organisation documented hundreds of deaths and thousands of victims across categories ranging from violence against women and children to political unrest, custodial deaths, attacks on journalists, and violence targeting religious minorities between January and June.

Children, women remain most vulnerable

The clearest pattern is the vulnerability of children. ASK documented 490 child victims of violence, including 195 deaths.

The circumstances of many of those deaths underscore that danger often comes from familiar surroundings rather than strangers. Fifty-one children died after physical torture, 40 were killed within their own families, and 21 were murdered after rape.

Sexual violence against children also remained pervasive, with 192 reported rapes and 105 attempted rapes. The data further recorded 34 boys among rape victims, underscoring that child sexual abuse cuts across gender.

Yet legal action followed only 59 of the 195 child deaths, suggesting that accountability remains limited even in the gravest cases.

The organisation also documented 319 cases of rape and gang rape involving women, including 92 gang rapes and 30 murders following rape. Children accounted for a large share of the victims, with 39 aged six or below and another 73 between seven and 12 years.

Domestic violence remained another major concern. ASK recorded 237 women subjected to abuse, including 91 killed by their husbands and 30 by other family members, while 67 died by suicide following domestic violence. Only 99 incidents led to legal cases.

Another 40 women faced dowry-related violence, including 20 who died after physical torture. Four women were victims of acid attacks, but none of the incidents resulted in a filed case.

Taken together, the figures suggest that some of the most serious threats to women continue to originate within households, where abuse frequently escalates into fatal violence and legal intervention often comes late or not at all.

Political violence drives casualties; borders remain tense

Political violence, meanwhile, remained one of the largest contributors to mass casualties. ASK recorded 374 incidents that left 66 people dead and 2,854 injured.

Attacks and shootings by unidentified miscreants accounted for 32 deaths, while internal clashes within the Awami League left 14 people dead and 786 injured.

Confrontations between the BNP and Jamaat-e-Islami claimed another nine lives and injured 1,001 people, illustrating that political competition continues to exact a high human cost.

Concerns over accountability persist

The report documented 11 alleged extrajudicial killings, 61 deaths in jail custody, and one alleged enforced disappearance, with the missing person yet to be found.

Of those who died in custody, 37 were under-trial prisoners, while Dhaka Division recorded the highest number of jail deaths at 36.

Violence against domestic workers, though lower in number, remained severe. ASK recorded 12 victims, including two deaths from physical torture and three rape victims. Eleven of the 12 incidents, however, resulted in legal cases, one of the highest rates of prosecution among the categories reviewed.

ASK also documented 126 victims of sexual harassment by stalkers, indicating that gender-based violence extended well beyond rape. Six men were killed while protesting harassment, while two women died by suicide following stalking-related incidents.

Press freedom, mob violence and minority attacks

ASK documented 209 incidents of harassment against journalists, including 55 assaults while carrying out professional duties. Law enforcement agencies were allegedly responsible for 36 incidents of torture, threats or harassment, while criminal groups were linked to 32.

Mob violence also remained widespread, with 113 people beaten to death. Dhaka Division recorded the highest number of deaths at 38, followed by Chattogram with 27.

The organisation documented 32 incidents targeting religious minorities, 31 involving the Hindu community. The attacks left eight people dead and 11 injured, and included vandalism of 12 statues, attacks on seven temples or monasteries and arson at six homes.