The extrajudicial killings of alleged drug dealers by the elite anti-crime unit Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) and the police have been criticized by various human rights groups and foreign diplomats.

[7] Since 2015, the Bangladesh government has focused on eradicating a cheap methamphetamine tablet known as yaba, and police have made significant pill seizures during that time.

[14] According to The Daily Telegraph, there are allegations that the campaign is a "cover for a wave of extrajudicial killings and political intimidation ahead of a general election later this year".

Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan denied allegations that the police were executing suspects without taking them through the judicial process.

[8] There have been strong allegations that no actions have been taken against ruling party MP, Abdur Rahman Badi and associate despite reports from five state agencies that mentioned him as patron of the drug trade.