The year 2020 started with the rape of a Dhaka University student and protests erupted up and down Bangladesh. But violence against women in the country continued unchecked.
The nation saw a rise in sexual violence towards women even as it grappled with the deadly coronavirus pandemic.
In desperation to crack down such violence, the government elevated the highest punishment for rape to death from life term but the move proved no deterrent as the data provided by the non-government organisations reveal a rising trend in violence against female members of society.
The human rights activists warn that women in Bangladesh will continue to confront adversities with a lack of protection as they step into the new year.
The country is witnessing an “epidemic of rape”, according to some of the activists who called for proper implementation of the law to end the menace.
The Dhaka University student was raped in Kurmitola on Jan 5 evening, which led the university and other organisations to burst in protests.
In September, when the people were struggling to save their lives and livelihoods amid the pandemic, a newly wed woman was raped by a group of students at Sylhet MC College.
Before the protests against the MC College incident could die down, miscreants stripped a woman naked while assaulting her in Noakhali. A video of the incident went viral on social media, leaving the country in a shock.
The United Nations then called for legal reforms to ensure quick justice for rape. Facing widespread protests and condemnation, the government raised the maximum penalty to death for rape. But data show the picture has not changed.
As many as 1,546 women were raped from January to November in 2020, according to Ain O Salish Kendra, a legal rights group. Among them, 51 were killed and 14 died by suicide. Also, 974 children were raped in this period.
The numbers of rape victims was 1,413 women and 986 children in 2019, nearly double the figures of 2018.
Bangladesh Mahila Parishad compiled the information of 1,247 women and girls who were raped from January to November this year.
The original number of rape cases in the country is much higher as not all of the incidents are reported, believe the women’s rights activists.
Violent incidents of gang rape, kidnap and rape, and the video of the torture incident going viral on social media raised concerns among the people in 2020.
Perpetrators in reported rape cases belonged to several socio-economic groups, including fathers, close relatives, law enforcers, public representatives, political leaders and even clerics. In some cases, women were reported to be involved.
After January, the highest number of cases of violence against women was reported in the September-October period, prompting the police to hold around 7,000 rallies in a single day in October to create awareness among people.
Source: bdnews24.com
