Dhaka, March 03 – At least 74 children were victims of torture and sexual violence in February, said Bangladesh Mahila Parishad (BMP), a women’s human rights organization on Wednesday. The number of child rape and sexual assault on children reported in February this year saw a spike said the reports, adding that 59 children were raped while 10 were gang-raped, 4 were murdered after the rape and one committed suicide after rape.
The organization also said there were 337 reports of torture and sexual violence against women and girls in February. The number was 326 in January.
At least 114 rape incidents were reported, of which 80 were raped, 24 gang-raped, nine were murdered after being raped and one who died by suicide after being raped, according to data collected from 15 national dailies on February 1 to 29.
The report also revealed that four women suffered arson attacks and two of them were burnt to death. Two people have been subjected to Fatwa.
Although cases of violence against women and children occur daily across Bangladesh, few of them are reported and even fewer win the legal battle for justice.
Rights activists blamed a culture of impunity, bias on the part of law enforcers and the administration, social and political unrest, moral decadence, and lack of awareness for the increase in violence against women.
The report also found more than 43 women and girls were murdered in the month for various reasons, while 16 were physically assaulted and 13 were abducted.
Among 6 women tortured for dowry and three were murdered, the report mentioned.
A total of 22 women and girls were forced to commit suicide after being tortured while 19 died mysteriously, according to the report.
A total of 16 incidents of child marriage took place while 9 others were victims of cybercrime in January, the report said.
BMB president Ayesha Khanam said even though women occupied important positions in the country, their rights were not established.
She also said girl children were not safe even in their homes. The law and order situation has deteriorated to such an extent that women now feel insecure to travel by public transport, she added.
“Aggressive mentality of a person grows in the family. We have to create conciseness by cooperating with both male and female members of a family,” she observed. – Staff Reporter
