Political violence kills 14 in March as post-poll clashes surge: MSF

Internal feuds within the BNP accounted for 31 of the 56 incidents of violence recorded in March, the human rights monitor says

Political violence has seen a sharp escalation in March following the general election, claiming at least 14 lives and leaving hundreds injured.

In its monthly report released on Tuesday, Manabadhikar Shongskriti Foundation revealed that the number of casualties in March was several times higher than in February.

Out of the 14 dead, 10 were identified as members of the ruling BNP, the human rights monitor said.

The report, compiled from media reports and the organisation's own data, documented 56 incidents of political violence during the month, affecting a total of 404 individuals.

Among them, 390 people suffered injuries.

The MSF findings highlight that much of the violence stemmed from internal power struggles within the BNP, which accounted for 31 of the total 56 violence recorded.

Clashes between the BNP and Awami League were responsible for nine of the incidents, while BNP and Jamaat-e-Islami confronted each other in eight incidents.

The victims included 10 from the BNP, two from Jamaat, one woman, and one individual whose political affiliation could not be confirmed.

Despite the transition to an elected government, MSF expressed concern over the persistence of custodial deaths and mob lynchings.

In March, 11 deaths were recorded in prison custody, down from 13 in February.

Two deaths also occurred in law enforcement custody, including one individual identified as a Jubo League member.

The report also documented a grim rise in "mob justice", with 19 people killed and 31 critically injured in 36 separate lynching incidents.

These killings were triggered by allegations, including theft, robbery, land disputes, and even arguments over social media content creation.