331 rape cases recorded this year
A total of 1,919 incidents of violence against women and girl children were recorded across Bangladesh in the first eight months of this year, including 331 rape cases, according to data compiled by the central committee of the Legal Aid Sub-Council of the Bangladesh Mahila Parishad.
The data, covering incidents from January to August, shows that violence against women and girls continued in various forms, including rape, murder, sexual harassment, stalking, cyber violence, abduction, trafficking and domestic abuse.
According to the report, 884 incidents involved girl children, while 1,035 incidents involved women aged above 18.
Of the 331 rape incidents recorded during the period, 240 victims were girl children and 91 were adult women.
The report also documented 33 murders following rape, including 22 cases involving girl children. In addition, 136 attempted rape cases were recorded, of which 112 involved girl children.
The data also recorded 76 incidents of sexual harassment, 53 cases of stalking and 30 incidents of cyber violence during the eight-month period.
Meanwhile, violence against women and girls also resulted in a significant number of deaths. The report recorded 396 murders, including 303 adult women and 93 girl children. Besides these, 184 mysterious deaths were documented during the same period.
The organisation’s data further showed that 86 wosmen and girls died by suicide between January and August. Among them, 58 were adult women and 28 were girl children. The report also recorded 22 incidents of abetment to suicide and two attempted suicides.
During the same period, 58 abduction cases and 65 trafficking incidents were reported. Among girl children, the figures included 40 abductions and 32 trafficking cases.
The data also highlighted continued concerns over domestic and family-related violence. During the eight months, 20 incidents of dowry-related torture and 21 dowry-related murders were recorded, along with 19 cases of physical abuse linked to domestic violence.
Violence against domestic workers was also reported, with the organisation documenting eight incidents of domestic worker torture and nine domestic worker murders across the country.
The Bangladesh Mahila Parishad has repeatedly emphasised the need for stronger prevention measures, effective enforcement of laws, timely investigation and greater protection mechanisms to address violence against women and children.
