Experts blame easy bail, weak rehabilitation and lack of coordination

Special Correspondent:

Despite large-scale arrests across the country, crime continues to pose a serious challenge to Bangladesh’s law enforcement agencies, raising questions about whether arrests alone can effectively curb criminal activities.

Police data show that more than 141,000 people were arrested across the country in less than three months, while the capital sees hundreds of arrests every day. Yet incidents of murder, robbery, snatching and theft continue to occur, with many accused criminals allegedly returning to crime after securing bail.

Law enforcement officials acknowledge the challenge, while criminologists say a coordinated approach involving police, the judiciary and prison authorities is essential to ensure lasting improvements in law and order.

REPEATED OFFENCES

One such example is alleged gang leader Taiyab Ali, who faces 45 cases, including charges of murder, robbery and dacoity. Although he has been arrested on several occasions, law enforcement officials say he repeatedly returned to criminal activities after being released on bail.

Taiyab was recently arrested again along with seven members of his group.

In another incident, Shakil Chowdhury was accused of hacking his sleeping father to death in Shibpur, Narsingdi, last Thursday. He had reportedly been released on bail about five months earlier and faces multiple cases.

Taiyab and Shakil are not isolated cases, according to law enforcement officials. Many accused criminals are repeatedly arrested, released on bail and later become involved in new offences.

MORE THAN 141,000 ARRESTED

According to Police Headquarters, between May 1 and July 27, 2026, law enforcement agencies arrested 39,267 people in special operations across the country.

Another 102,722 people were arrested in connection with other cases and operations.

In total, 141,989 people were arrested, averaging approximately 1,613 arrests a day during the period.

Despite the high number of arrests, criminal activities remain a major concern.

Police Headquarters data show that during the first seven months of this year, 2,076 murder cases were filed nationwide. During the same period, there were 317 cases of dacoity, 1,067 cases of snatching and 5,636 cases of theft.

However, concerned officials and analysts believe the actual number of crimes may be higher than the number reflected in registered cases.

HUNDREDS ARRESTED DAILY IN DHAKA

The situation is similar in the capital, where police conduct regular drives against suspected criminals.

According to the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP), a total of 1,843 people were arrested during the first four days of the current month.

Among them, 442 people were arrested within 24 hours on September 1, followed by 438 on September 2 and 534 on September 3.

Despite the large number of arrests, recent incidents of snatching and murder in Dhaka have continued to cause concern among residents.

RAB RAISES CONCERNS OVER REPEAT OFFENDERS

At a press conference in the capital on April 29, RAB-2 Commander Khalidul Haque Howlader said that nearly 1,500 alleged criminals had been arrested by RAB alone from the Mohammadpur area of Dhaka since August 5, 2024.

He said many of them were later released on bail and allegedly returned to criminal activities.

According to him, those arrested included alleged drug dealers, snatchers and members of juvenile gangs.

He said some individuals had been arrested two or even three times but allegedly resumed criminal activities after being released.

OVERCROWDED PRISONS

Bangladesh’s prisons are also struggling with severe overcrowding.

In his final press briefing last month, outgoing Inspector General of Prisons Brigadier General Syed Md Motaher Hossain said the country’s prisons currently hold more than twice their official capacity.

According to him, the prisons have an authorised capacity for around 45,000 inmates, but currently hold nearly 98,000 prisoners.

Criminologists say overcrowding can make it difficult to provide effective correctional programmes, training and rehabilitation services.

They argue that prisons should not merely function as places of confinement but should also play a meaningful role in reforming offenders and preparing them to return to society.

LAW AND ORDER REMAINS A CONCERN

Bangladesh’s law and order situation deteriorated significantly following the student-led mass uprising of August 5, 2024. Police are still working to fully recover from the disruption caused during that period.

Recent incidents of snatching and killings in the capital have renewed public concerns about personal security.

Meanwhile, the 2026 Crime and Safety Index of global database Numbeo placed Dhaka at the top in terms of crime index among listed cities in South Asia.

However, senior law enforcement officials maintain that the overall situation is gradually improving.

Additional Inspector General of Police for Crime and Operations Khandaker Rafiqul Islam said the country’s law and order situation was now improving.

“An analysis of the statistics of the past several months will show that the situation has been moving in a positive direction,” he said.

He said law enforcement agencies had intensified operations to recover illegal weapons, control drug-related crime and extortion, and improve public safety.

However, he added that crime could never be eliminated entirely.

“There is no scope for complacency in crime control. It is a continuous process,” he said.

‘ARRESTS ALONE CANNOT REDUCE CRIME’

Criminologists, however, argue that the number of arrests should not be considered the sole indicator of improvements in law and order.

They say the effectiveness of the criminal justice system depends on what happens after an arrest.

Professor Md Rezaul Karim, chairman of the Department of Criminology at the University of Dhaka, said that arresting suspects alone was not enough to control crime.

“The post-arrest process is equally important,” he said.

According to him, three institutions—the police, the judiciary and the prison authorities—play crucial roles in crime control.

“It is important to examine whom accused persons come into contact with inside prisons, what they do there, and also to analyse the nature and causes of their crimes,” he said.

“Without addressing these issues, crime cannot be controlled simply by increasing the number of arrests.”

Prof Karim said repeat offenders required special attention from both law enforcement agencies and the courts.

He noted that a lack of coordination among relevant institutions could sometimes allow accused persons to obtain bail easily, even when serious allegations or evidence existed against them.

He warned that individuals involved in relatively minor offences could gradually become professional criminals after repeated arrests, imprisonment and release.

He also stressed the need for rehabilitation, vocational training and employment opportunities for drug-dependent and underprivileged offenders.

NEED FOR A COORDINATED APPROACH

Experts say a sustainable reduction in crime requires more than large-scale crackdowns.

Effective investigations, timely judicial proceedings, appropriate supervision of repeat offenders, prison reform and rehabilitation programmes must work together, they say.

They also emphasise the importance of analysing the underlying causes of crime, including unemployment, drug abuse, poverty and social marginalisation.

According to criminologists, without effective coordination between law enforcement agencies, the judiciary and prison authorities, repeated arrests may only perpetuate a cycle in which offenders are detained, released and eventually return to crime.

The challenge, experts say, is not merely to arrest criminals—but to ensure that the criminal justice system prevents them from becoming repeat offenders.