At least 187 people were killed and 401 injured in 398 incidents of mob violence across Bangladesh in the first nine months of 2026, according to a report by the Human Rights Support Society (HRSS) released on Monday.

The toll from mob violence, often called mob lynching in Bangladesh, was more than double the 73 deaths the group recorded in 1,013 incidents of political violence over the same period, in which 6,473 people were injured.

The HRSS said most of the killings followed accusations of theft, mugging or robbery, sexual assault, perceived insults to religion, or disputes over local dominance. The group compiles its figures from 16 national dailies and its own field information.

The report counted 95 deaths in prisons and a further 17 deaths in custody, torture, shootings or what police described as gunfights, 10 of them in gunfights. It also recorded 491 bodies recovered from rivers, canals, forests and abandoned sites.

Political violence was dominated by infighting within the Bangladesh Nationalist Party. The HRSS counted 342 clashes between BNP factions, killing 40 people and injuring 2,632, and 321 clashes between BNP and Jamaat-e-Islami supporters that killed 11 and injured 2,190. Clashes between BNP and Awami League supporters numbered 93, with nine killed and 545 injured.

In all, 931 of the 1,013 political violence incidents were linked to the BNP or its rivals, the report said. Of those killed, 46 were BNP supporters, eight were Jamaat supporters and six were Awami League supporters. Another 402 incidents were linked to elections, leaving 13 dead and 2,623 injured, while 5,644 people were arrested, including 4,827 Awami League supporters.

The report said 518 journalists were harassed in 288 incidents. Fifty-nine were injured, 11 faced criminal cases and seven were arrested, according to The Daily Star's account of the findings.

Violence against women and girls remained widespread: the HRSS documented 2,404 cases, including 657 rapes, 392 of them involving minors, and 29 women killed after being raped. Domestic violence killed 457 women, and 494 children died in 1,810 reported incidents.

The group recorded 56 attacks on religious minorities, including 21 temples and 47 homes. Along the border, it counted 43 attacks by India's Border Security Force that killed 13 Bangladeshis and injured 45, and eight deaths and five injuries from landmines laid by the Arakan Army.

HRSS executive director Ijajul Islam called for effective steps to stop mob violence and to ensure that those who take the law into their own hands are brought to justice.

The figures come from newspaper reports and the group's field information, so incidents that were never reported are not included in the count.