The heart of Bangladesh is filled with sadness and boiling anger as the eight-year-old rape victim from the Magra area lost her life on March 12 as she endured a week of unimaginable pain. News of her death caused a shock wave nationwide. In an internal reaction to the news, the angered locals set fire to the defendant’s house.
Since the incident, Bangladesh has been caught in protests against rape and violence against women and children. The strong outcry has become so intense that the interim government led by Muhammad Yunus was forced to ban demonstrations indefinitely at the main locations in the capital Dhaka, as momentum of the women’s safety movement has gained momentum.
The Magra case is not an isolated incident. Just a few days ago, a sophomore student from Sirajganj was hospitalized after being raped. Activists and human rights groups reported that such incidents became shocking.
The Provisional Government has repeatedly issued warnings and promised action, but these actions have not stopped the tide of violence.
Women in Bangladesh face not only the threat of violence, but also the social scrutiny. Recent incidents involving female students from Dhaka University highlight this disturbing reality. On her way to campus, she was stopped by a man who criticized her clothes for being “inappropriate.”
The situation escalated when she threatened to report him to the university. Although he was arrested after the incident spread on social media, he was quickly released – welcomed by cheering crowds.
Dewan Sudeshna, a 28-year-old English lecturer in Mohammadpur area in Dhaka, shared her daily struggles and shared her struggles with obvious fear. “I worked until 5:00 pm and rushed home at night. Now people just judge women because they went out after dark. It seems like it was a crime against us in the street at night.”
“The mistake is always at the feet of women. If I’m late, my parents will be anxious because of the turbulent environment. Some people have the right to question why a woman goes out after the night. It’s terrible for any girl or woman.”
Crimes against children
According to human rights group Ain o Salish Kendra (Question), 85 women were raped in Bangladesh in January and February this year. Between 2017 and 2024, 9,677 children under the age of 18 were victims of violence, with nearly half (4,8011) being rape survivors. Similarly, the Human Rights Support Association (HRSS) reported that between 2020 and 2024, at least 6,305 women and children were raped, including 3,471 minors.
Human rights activists and organizations attribute the rise of violence to the collapse of law enforcement and social structures in the country after the regime changes on August 5 last year. Even though the government repeatedly warned of mob violence, such incidents have not diminished.
On March 16, a young man accused of being accused of being a child rape case was beaten to death by a mob of Barisal. Earlier, on February 28, five people were killed in a mob attack in Shariatpur. They were accused of attempting to rob and were captured by locals while trying to escape.
The inquiry report said that mob violence has risen sharply in recent months. In January and February alone, at least 27 people were killed in mob attacks. Compared to the 32 incidents recorded in the first seven months of 2024, just before former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s removal. Mob violence was rapidly varied after the uprising in August 2025, with 123 incidents reported in the next seven months, a fourfold increase compared to the first seven months of 2024.
According to the Human Rights Support Association (HRSS), at least 114 mob beatings occurred in the seven months after the interim government assumed power in August, killing 119 people and injuring 74 people.
According to the Bangladesh Police Headquarters, 294 murders were registered in January 2025 alone, with the cases being 231 in January 2024. Robbery and robbery cases also surged sharply, with 242 cases filed in January 2025, an increase of 69% over the previous year. In December 2024, 230 cases increased by 70% compared with December 2023.
Crime numbers rise
Crime statistics also show an equally shocking trend. In the past six months, until January 2025, 1,145 cases of robbery and gangsters were filed – a 50% increase compared to the same period in the previous year.
To respond to the crisis, information and broadcast consultant Mohammad Mahfuj Alam said: “No one is involved in these crimes regardless of their religion, belief or affiliation.
Dhaka Metropolitan Police Department (DMP) Commissioner Sheikh Mohammad Sazzad Ali announced a special operation to arrest criminals. But for many citizens, these guarantees will be hollow.
Rahman, CEO of Manabadhikar Shanghai Foundation (MSF), told Hindu Some are actively inciting and encouraging these heinous acts, often connecting them with political entities such as the Awami Alliance. “These inciteers manipulate mobs to commit violence, and the side effect is abuse of women.”
“The presence of police officers has also been greatly reduced. They are now patrolling much more and many positions remain unfilled after the removal of Sheikh Hasina. This shortage of law enforcement personnel creates a vacuum that allows crime to flourish. The government has not taken the initiative, and social mobilization has not improved.
(Rabiul Alam is a Dhaka-based freelance journalist)
publishing – March 22, 2025 04:00 AM IST
