More children fall victim to rape
Children in Bangladesh continue to face serious risks of sexual abuse, with official data showing a sharp rise in reported rape cases involving children and persistent weaknesses in protection, investigation and justice mechanisms.
Police Headquarters recorded 1,485 child rape cases in the first seven months of 2026, around 49 per cent higher than the 998 cases reported during the same period last year and nearly double the 751 cases recorded in the first seven months of 2024.
The figures reflect reported cases only, while police say many incidents involving children remain unreported because perpetrators are often acquaintances, relatives, neighbours or people trusted by the family.
A H M Shahadat Hossain, Assistant Inspector General of the Media Wing at Police Headquarters, said fear of social stigma, family pressure and insecurity often prevents victims’ families from reporting incidents promptly.
Such delays can result in the loss of vital evidence and complicate investigations, he said.
The scale of violence against women and children is also reflected in broader crime statistics. In the first eight months of 2026, 14,602 cases of violence against women and children were filed, while 254 children were killed in various acts of violence.
According to Ain o Salish Kendra (ASK), the bodies of at least 36 children were recovered between January and August after they went missing.
Police Headquarters reported that 15,717 children went missing between January and July, of whom 13,679 were recovered and 2,038 remained missing.
In 2025, a total of 21,939 cases of violence against women and children were filed, including 7,068 rape cases. Of these, 5,171 involved adult women and 1,897 involved children. In 2024, 5,566 rape cases were recorded, including 1,219 involving children.
The Prevention of Oppression Against Women and Children Act provides for the death penalty or rigorous life imprisonment, along with a fine, for rape of a woman or child. The same penalties apply in cases of rape followed by death and attempts to cause death or injury.
However, lengthy trials, inadequate witness protection and social pressure continue to create obstacles to securing justice.
High Court data show that 132,107 cases were pending in the country’s 99 Women and Children Repression Prevention Tribunals as of 31 December 2025.
Of these, 30,365 had remained pending for more than five years. Although the law requires such trials to be completed within 180 days, delays remain widespread.
Police recorded 4,654 rape cases in the first eight months of 2026, including 3,252 between January and June, 707 in July and 695 in August.
The highest number was recorded in different police stations under Dhaka Metropolitan Police, followed by Chattogram metropolitan area, Gopalganj, Cox’s Bazar, Dhaka district, Tangail, Cumilla, Chattogram district and Bogura.
Police officials have also pointed to the involvement of people with political affiliations in several cases.
Those named in complaints include Chhatra Dal, BNP, Swechchhasebak Dal and Jamaat-e-Islami activists in different districts.
Two Dhaka division superintendents of police, speaking on condition of anonymity, said local political activists had been found involved in a number of complaints, with allegations that some offences were committed under the cover of political influence.
The government, however, has rejected claims of political interference in the registration of cases.
Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed said that many people previously faced social and political pressure when attempting to report crimes to police, and that the rise in recorded cases could partly reflect improved access to law enforcement.
At a high-level police meeting, Additional IGP (Crime and Operations) Khondkar Rafiqul Islam described the increase as “extremely worrying” and instructed officers to ensure swift and quality investigations.
There have been instances of rapid justice. In the rape and murder case involving eight-year-old Ramisa in Pallabi, Dhaka, the Dhaka Metropolitan Child Repression Prevention Tribunal sentenced accused Sohel Rana and his wife, Swapna Akter, to death within 19 days of the incident.
The High Court also upheld the death sentence of Hitu Sheikh in a child rape and murder case in Magura.
Yet such cases remain exceptions. In a child rape case in Gafargaon, Mymensingh, the victim’s family has remained under pressure more than three months after the incident as the accused has not been arrested.
The accused’s family allegedly attempted to settle the matter through informal arbitration and offered money, despite police saying rape cases cannot legally be settled in such a manner.
ASK Executive Director Tahmina Rahman said violence against women and children should not be treated as isolated incidents, pointing to the more than 14,000 cases filed in eight months and the deaths of 254 children during the period.
Police say they are following victim-friendly procedures for recording statements, conducting investigations swiftly and maintaining a zero-tolerance approach.
However, child protection requires coordinated action beyond law enforcement, involving families, educational institutions, social and religious organisations and political groups.
Strengthening reporting mechanisms, protecting victims and witnesses, preventing interference and reducing trial delays remain key to improving child safety and accountability.
