Afraid to be loud: Weak law and order responsible for rise in GBV, say experts.
- 401 women were raped in 2024
- Concerns about patterns of sexual abuse
- In February alone, 295 harassed, 57 raped
A victim, Gungun Rahman (pseudonym), was in a crowd at Farmgate on Monday afternoon when two individuals inappropriately touched her at the same time.
She recalled: “I was fasting. After having my sensitive area touched repeatedly, I screamed. Before I knew it, two people shouted, ‘This woman is a mobile thief.’ Within seconds, more people were coming toward me. I managed to escape with my life that day. I haven’t been to the office for the last four days; I haven’t even filed a police complaint, and I haven’t left the house out of fear.”
She added: “When I was a child, my mother told me to return home before sunset. Now, are girls safe even in the daylight?”
Not only did 48-year-old Gungun experience this harassment, but just two days ago, a man harassed a student in the Dhaka University area. The DU student—harassed over her dress—withdrew her case one day after filing it. She alleged that she had withdrawn the complaint after receiving threats of murder and rape for protesting the harassment.
“How else can I speak?” she said.
On Wednesday, Mostafa Asif, an assistant binder at the Central Library, confronted the DU student. He questioned why her dress was not proper and why her scarf was not worn correctly, and he verbally abused her with vulgar remarks.
A female filmmaker expressed her deep concern: “The violence, rape, and abuse against women are very worrying. I feel threatened going outside as a non-Muslim woman. Now I force myself to wear a scarf. It feels as though we are living in a lawless country where anyone can take the law into their own hands. Every day, people with hidden agendas misuse social media.”
Dr Fauzia Moslem, president of Bangladesh Mahila Parishad, believes that the practice of degrading women through religion must be eradicated from society.
Recently, a hilla marriage took place in Jadavpur in December—a practice that is legally prohibited and had been banned for many years until its sudden reappearance. This suggests that anti-women groups have become active again, using religion to restrict women’s freedom, scrutinize their clothing, and justify violence and hatred.
According to the Data Protection Unit of the Ain O Salish Kendra (ASK), a total of 401 women were raped or gang-raped across the country in 2024. Of these, 105 were gang rapes; 34 women were murdered following rape, and 7 committed suicide after being raped.
In addition, 109 women were victims of attempted rape, with 1 being murdered as a result, and at least 166 women were victims of sexual harassment and assault in 2024. Moreover, 2 women committed suicide and 3 were murdered due to harassment.
However, these figures are based solely on incidents reported in the media and through police complaints—experts believe the actual numbers are likely higher. Recent events suggest that the patterns and methods of these crimes have taken a frightening turn, with violence against women increasing.
A Dhaka Tribune correspondent spoke to 21 women from various professions who experienced sexual harassment outside the home within the last three months. The women, aged between 19 and 48 and residing in Dhaka, reported multiple instances of street harassment.
They said they have been too afraid to protest recently, fearing that they might be overwhelmed by a mob. One victim said: “I was attacked for protesting. During an argument with a rickshaw puller about the fare, a group of people surrounded me, threw me on the road, and covered me with a blanket because I was speaking loudly to an elderly man. The rickshaw puller said offensive things, and I ran away.”
A report by the Manabadhikar Shongskriti Foundation (MSF) for February this year documented 295 incidents of violence against women and children—24 more than in January. The report noted that Islamic fundamentalist groups, terrorists, and other extremist elements play a visible role in these incidents, posing a serious threat to women’s safety.
In February alone, there were 57 rapes, 17 gang rapes, and two murders related to sexual violence, along with 19 attempted rapes, 26 cases of sexual harassment, and 36 physical assaults. As a result, women in the country feel increasingly unsafe, especially when traveling or in unfamiliar places.
The MSF report also highlighted the deteriorating law and order, noting that the rise in crimes such as theft, robbery, rape, murder, and violence against women is creating widespread fear and anxiety.
It said: “It is a matter of concern that attacks on couples on highways, robberies in front of homes, robberies on moving buses, and harassment of women by passengers have now become almost routine.”
Additionally, the Human Rights Situation Monitoring Report 2024 by MSF recorded 1,151 incidents of violence against women and children in 2024.
Activist Taheatul Jannat Remi remarked that women are constantly subjected to street harassment.
“This is nothing new for us, but the pattern of harassment has taken a very frightening shape recently,” she said.
In this unstable situation, there is not only a fear of sexual harassment and robbery outside the home but also the emergence of mob violence against women—a concern shared by both men and women.
“We women are too afraid to speak up or protest. One reason is the weak state of law and order; the lack of active police management has allowed opportunistic individuals to exploit the situation,” she explained.
Remi added: “I used to travel from Dhaka to Faridpur in the evening, but given the current instability and recent events, I don’t dare. I work with women in both Dhaka and Faridpur, so I must travel regularly.”
Dhaka University Women and Gender Studies Professor Dr Tania Haque commented: “The current pattern of violence is deeply painful. We have high expectations from the new government to restore law and order. It seems that lax enforcement affects both men and women. When law and order is compromised, women—already vulnerable in normal times—face exponentially greater risks.”
She added: “It is disheartening because, although women are more mobile than before, we cannot feel safe. Observing the daily incidents, it seems we are moving toward greater isolation. We have yet to create a respectful and secure space for women in Bangladesh.” News source- dhakatribune.com.
