8.1.2. Violence involving other political parties

There have been several intra-party disputes and violent incidents between members of various political parties after the fall of the former government.752 According to the Daily Star, criminal elements within some parties feel ‘emboldened by the normalisation of such violence over time and the lack of legal and political consequences’.753 According to TIB, reporting in November 2024, political leaders and activists from various parties have been ‘killed in attacks by miscreants attempting to assert dominance across the country’.754 Political party affiliates have also engaged in criminal activities.755

BNP, the main opposition party under the former government,756 has been the main actor involved in inter- and intra-party violence since the fall of Hasina.757 Political violence reportedly intensified in early 2025.758 In January–April 2025, ASK recorded 49 incidents where BNP and its wings clashed with the Awami League, Jamaat-e-Islami, and other political organisations, leading to 9 deaths and injuries to 565 persons. ASK also recorded 105 internal clashes within BNP, leading to 17 deaths and injuries to 1 201 people, as well as 49 internal clashes between the BNP and its front organisations, killing another 15 persons and causing injuries to 459 persons.759 The party leadership has taken disciplinary actions against reportedly more than 1 000 party leaders and activists for inter alia ‘extortion, encroachment, and infighting’,760 but has struggled to control members761 that have allegedly engaged in, inter alia, attacking Awami League leaders and activists, as well as looting and torching their homes.762 BNP members have also reportedly engaged in extortion and encroachment,763 in order to gain influence over certain areas764 and grab land.765 In November 2024, TIB reported on some BNP party leaders and activists allegedly ‘seizing control of various ministries, government institutions, educational and health institutions’, local government bodies, and the road transport sector.766

There were instances of BNP activists being killed by political rivals,767 and hacked to death by masked assailants.768 In May 2025, Prothom Alo reported on two rivalling factions of the BNP engaging in shootings, attacks, and counterattacks to gain influence in Raozan. Although murders and counter-murders have been taking place in the area for almost 40 years, the conflict has intensified after the fall of the former government.769 In the period 5 August 2024 - 22 April 2025, it was reported that 11 people had been murdered in the area, eight of which being ‘political murders’.770 In another case, BNP leaders in Sirandanj Sadar allegedly broke the hands and legs of another BNP leader in March 2025.771 Furthermore, a local activist of the BNP student wing Jubo Dal died in custody after having been detained, for unknow reasons, by Joint Forces in January 2025. His body had signs of torture.772

Under the former government, thousands of criminal complaints were lodged against BNP activists, in many cases as a form of judicial harassment.773 Under the interim government, over 22 000 cases had reportedly been resolved by September 2024, with a 72 % acquittal rate.774 Meanwhile, BNP members have allegedly engaged in lodging criminal cases against Awami League affiliates, and BNP members have also been named as accused in some cases.775 More information is available in section 2.4. Accountability efforts and arrests.

The student movement has formed a party and will run for parliament.776 As reported by TIB, the movement has been accused of extorting its identity as coordinators of the protests, and has put pressure on the interim government on various issues.777 In January–April 2025, ASK recorded instances in which the movement clashed with the National Citizen Party, which injured 19 people in total. ASK further recorded 5 instances of internal clashes within the movement, which injured 20 people in total.778 Media sources reported on a clash at Khulna University on 19 February 2025, when the movement clashed with BNP’s student wing, which injured 150 people in total.779 A few days after the demolition of Mujibur Rahman’s house in February 2025,780 students assembling outside another Awami League residence in Gazipur were attacked by Awami League leaders and activists.781 At least 18 people were reportedly injured in the attack.782

More information is available in section 2.4. Accountability efforts and arrests.