Violence against women is becoming a concern in Bangladesh. Between June 20 and June 29, there were at least 24 reported rape cases across the country, according to Dhanka Tribune . The rise in cases has led a senior government adviser to call it a “pandemic-level crisis.”
Sharmeen S Murshid, adviser to the Ministry of Social Welfare and the Ministry of Women and Children Affairs, shared concerns during a press briefing on Thursday. Speaking at the secretariat, she said, “I have been working on violence against women and children for 40 years. Governments have come and gone, but none have been able to tackle the issue.”
To address the crisis, the government has decided to set up quick response teams at the upazila (sub-district) level. These teams will be led by Upazila Nirbahi Officers (UNOs). “Following the rape of a housewife in Muradnagar, Comilla, a quick response team has already been deployed under the local UNO’s leadership,” said Murshid.
She stated that the ministry has received 281,000 complaints through its toll-free hotline over the past 10-11 months. However, a lack of staff has made it difficult to respond to every call.
The adviser also promised that response teams would now act faster. “If an incident occurs, a response team will be deployed within 24 hours,” she said. She added that the ministry would no longer work in an ad hoc way. Officials will now go beyond districts to reach villages and unions to make sure every victim receives help.
DEEPER ISSUES: DRUGS, TECHNOLOGY, AND SOCIAL PROBLEMS
Murshid pointed out that the root causes of the crisis are complex and deep-rooted. “The roots lie in politics, drugs, technology, and social degradation. The unchecked access to mobile phones and pornography is distorting children’s minds,” she said.
She shared a heartbreaking example to show how serious the problem is: “A 10-year-old child has sexually assaulted a two-and-a-half-year-old girl. How can we even explain this? The child doesn’t even understand what he has done.”
Murshid expressed serious concern about the lack of control over harmful content. “Are we truly able to protect our children? We can no longer hide from this complex social problem, which demands both counselling and medical attention,” she said. She further added, “If the rest of the world can regulate (pornography), why not Bangladesh?”
She also said madrasas, religious schools, must be monitored more carefully. “Madrasas often remain out of sight, but child sexual abuse is taking place there too. We’re not getting the data. Our officials will now go directly to schools and madrasas to ensure accountability,” she added.
Murshid said that although Bangladesh has strong laws, such as Section 14 of the Women and Children Repression Prevention Act, violence continues to rise. “Violence is being committed in families, workplaces, public spaces, and online,” she said. “Offensive video clips are aired, which is a violation of the law. Instead, it is the perpetrators-rapists and abusers-whose identities must be exposed.”
GANG-RAPE CASE SPARKS PROTESTS
Amid a rise in sexual violence, a gang-rape incident involving a Hindu woman in central Bangladesh sparked protests. The incident was filmed and spread online, sparking anger across the country.
According to police and media reports, a local politician named Fazor Ali broke into the victim’s home while she was visiting her paternal family in Muradnagar, Cumilla district, and sexually assaulted her.
Earlier this year, the death of an eight-year-old girl after being raped also triggered nationwide protests.