30 Murders in 30 Days

Murders have increased in Gazipur due to a range of factors, including drug-related crime, robbery, dacoity, family disputes, and domestic conflicts. Authorities have also recorded cases in which perpetrators killed victims elsewhere and dumped the bodies in Gazipur. Law enforcement agencies struggle to effectively monitor criminal activity because of the area's dense population and constant activity. A total of 30 murders were reported across Gazipur district and metropolitan areas in May alone.

An investigation found that Gazipur's crime problem extends beyond homicide. Muggings, drug trafficking, illegal weapons activity, and clashes over control of unfinished urban development projects have also become common. Despite efforts by law enforcement agencies and local authorities, the situation remains difficult to control. Residents say murders have risen sharply in recent months, accompanied by growing social deterioration. A series of killings has heightened public fear, prompting calls for stricter action from law enforcement.

According to district statistics, only 38 percent of Gazipur's residents live in their own homes. The remaining population consists of tenants who have moved from other districts. Tongi's 17 slums, particularly Mazar Slum, are widely known as hubs for crime and drug trafficking. Although law enforcement agencies regularly conduct operations in these areas, criminal groups quickly re-emerge. Residents have also alleged that drugs are openly sold in the slums and that weapons are rented out there.

The unfinished Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) project along the Airport-Gazipur corridor has also contributed to crime, according to local sources. Muggings and murders frequently occur around the project's flyovers, stairways, and ramps. Multiple sources said most crimes in Gazipur occur in and around BRT project areas.

Official data show that Gazipur Metropolitan Police recorded 17 murders in May, while the district's five upazilas reported 13 killings during the same period. The figures were confirmed by the offices of the Gazipur Metropolitan Police commissioner and the district police superintendent.

Among the most widely discussed cases was the murder of five members of the same family, including a child, in Rautkona village of Kapasia upazila on May 9. Authorities later recovered the body of the prime suspect, Forkan Molla, from the Padma River in Louhajang upazila of Munshiganj.

On the evening of May 9, a BNP leader in his 60s was allegedly summoned to a local arbitration meeting in Faogan Bazar under Prahladpur Union over accusations of child rape. A Union Parishad member allegedly led an assault that left him critically injured. He died while undergoing treatment two days later.

On May 10, an angry mob in Bagchala village of Fulbaria Union in Kaliakair upazila beat three men to death on suspicion of cattle theft. The crowd also set fire to a truck allegedly used by the victims.