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He said the TIB assessment should not be treated as a definitive reflection of the law-and-order situation in the country.

Responding to questions on TIB’s claims of more than 600 murders in the first 100 days of the BNP government, the minister said he had not reviewed the report in detail and could not comment on specific figures.

“We prepare monthly crime statistics covering robbery, murder, rape and other offences. Compared to the same period in previous years, the situation has improved significantly, with reductions across categories,” he said.

Salahuddin Ahmed said official data indicate an overall improvement in public safety, though he refrained from engaging with the TIB figures without reviewing them.

He also rejected the watchdog’s methodology, saying it does not involve verification before publication. He added that the government relies on routine crime data collected from districts, which he described as the most reliable source.

“Various reports appear in newspapers every day. We take those reports seriously and send them to the relevant departments for verification. But not every published report reflects the exact facts,” he said.

On the broader law-and-order situation, he said the government had overcome the image crisis faced by police after August 5, 2024, and claimed the force had become more people-friendly and regained public confidence.

PHQ RESPONSE TO TIB REPORT

Meanwhile, Police Headquarters responded to the TIB findings, saying the claim of 605 murders in 100 days lacks proper context and methodological explanation.

It said presenting raw figures without analysing causes can be misleading.

According to PHQ, of the 605 murder cases recorded between March and April 2026, 336 (55.5%) were linked to previous enmity, 146 (24.1%) to family disputes, 69 (11.4%) to property and financial conflicts, 19 (3.1%) to accidental attacks, nine (1.5%) to attempts to establish dominance, six (1.0%) to robbery, five (0.8%) to love affairs or extramarital relationships, and three (0.5%) were politically motivated. Another 15 cases (2.4%) were linked to rioting, dacoity, abduction and other causes.

The police said Bangladesh records between 3,000 and 4,500 murder cases annually on average. It added that if the 605 cases are annualised, the total would be around 3,630, which falls within the normal range.

On that basis, it said there is no evidence of an abnormal spike in killings.

It also said that given a population of around 18 crore, the murder rate during the two-month period stands at 0.34 per 1,00,000 people, which it described as not high by international standards.

PHQ added that increased case registration after August 5, 2024, reflects greater transparency rather than a deterioration in law and order. It also urged future assessments to rely on full data analysis instead of headline figures alone.