The incidents of rape is on the rise alarmingly across the country, rights activists have alleged.
They further alleged that most of the rape incidents remained out of registration with police stations and the news of such incidents hardly published in the media.
The countrymen are now in panic following the rise of such rape incidents in the country, the rights activists mentioned.
In the latest incident, a school girl of class VII was raped by a teacher in Godagari upazila of Rajshahi district on Wednesday night. Locals caught red handed rapist Shahidul Islam, 38, and handed him to the police, said Abdul Latif, Sub-Inspector of the police station.
Earlier, a 10-year-old girl was allegedly raped in Savar bus stand area on Monday night while an 11-year-old girl allegedly was raped by two miscreants in the city’s Vatara area on Saturday night.
A recent police headquarters data revealed that around 300 rape cases are filed on an average every month, but the real number of incidents is likely double to triple of that number.
The police HQ statistics said, in 2015, some 642 rape cases were filed, while 538 cases were filed in 2014.
According to One-stop Crisis Center (OCC), 81 raped victim women and children admitted it in October while the common figure was 50 in every month earlier.
Bangladesh Mohila Parishad report showed that at least 115 women and children were raped in October while the 40 others physically by the miscreants.
Bangladesh Shishu Adhikar Forum (BSAF), a child rights body, said at least 512 women and girls were reportedly raped between January and September this year, while 26 were also killed after rape. But only 256 cases were filed in this connection with the police stations. At least 693 rape incidents were committed in 2015.
According to Bangladesh National Woman Lawyers’ Association (BNWLA) statistics, at least 764 rape incidents were reported between January and October this year.
The organisation said the incidence of rape has been rising since 2010. BNWLA statistics showed 789 rapes reported in 2014, 719 in 2013, 836 in 2012, 603 in 2011 and 411 in 2010.
Ain O Salish Kendra said, at least 466 women were raped between January and September and only 250 cases were filed regarding the rape incidents.
Earlier on October 26, an indigenous girl was allegedly gang-raped by a group of youths in the city’s Badda area.
On October 29, two local ruling party men raped a teenage girl near the Awami League office of the capital’s Dholaipar area.
A mentally disorder 20-year old girl was allegedly gang-raped by six Ansar members at the outdoor of Dhaka Medical College and Hospital (DMCH) on October 27. A case was filed with Shahbagh Police Station in this connection on Wednesday.
The accused are APC Ekramul, Anisul, Atiqul, Siraj, Babul and Minhaz. They were closed from their jobs.
In Rangpur, two female students of a private nursing institute were allegedly raped by one of their fellow and four others in Rangpur town on October 27. Five days into the incident, one of the victims filed a case against the five alleged rapists with Rangpur Kotwali Police Station on Tuesday night.
In Jhalakathi, a school girl filed a case against her mother on charge of helping rapist to rape her several times at their house in Kewta village in Rajapur uapzila.
She filed the case with Rajapur Police Station on Monday night. The accused are Dulal Hawlader, 45, and victim’s mother Sanoara Begum, said Harun Ar Rashid, OC (Investigation) of Rajapur Police Station.
On October 28, police recovered a discomposed body of a 30-year old woman from Baleshwar Beel in Ramgopalpur Union of Gouripur upazila in Mymensingh district. She was also burnt after rape by unidentified miscreants.
A five-year-old girl raped in Dinajpur on October 18. She was found in a crop field after going missing for more than 10 hours. Her body bore stab marks.
Salma Ali, executive director of BNWLA, said the absence of social and political responsibility and a lack of transparency contribute to the problem.
Cases are sometimes dismissed because of the interference and domination of ruling party men, the rights activists said.
Professor Zia Rahman, chairman of the criminology department at Dhaka University, said the comodification of women in popular culture was a factor in the increasing incidences of sexual violence.
Additional Inspector General of Police Mokhlesur Rahman, said, “The investigation of rape cases gets top priority from us. “If any police official is found to be negligent in investigating these cases, we will take action against them,” the police official said.
