The incidents of rape have been rising for a few months, as police data based on cases filed show.
In the first nine months of the interim government, installed in August 2024, 4,293 rape cases were filed with the police across the country.
The highest number of 684 rape cases were filed in April, the highest in 28 months since January 2023.
Rape incidents have taken place in running buses and trains and in public spaces.
The police, however, claimed success in arresting perpetrators and producing them in court.
The police headquarters data show that 620 cases were filed in March, 437 in February and 473 in January.
In 2024, the number was 363 in December, 416 in November, 498 in October, 478 in September, 324 in August, 558 in July, 549 in June, 590 in May, 497 in April, 477 in March, 455 in February and 365 in January.
In 2023, the number of rape cases was 399 in December, 452 in November, 516 in October, 565 in September, 607 in August, 636 in July, 607 in June, 647 in May, 479 in April, 536 in March, 428 in February and 419 in January.
Rights organisation Ain O Salish Kendra data, compiled based on newspaper reports and the information the orgainsation received, showed that 383 rape incidents were reported in the first five months of this year. Of them, there was no information on filing cases over 71 incidents.
The data show that different newspapers and online news portals reported 41 incidents of rape in May this year and, of them, there was no information on filing cases in six incidents.聽 聽聽
ASK chairperson and senior lawyer ZI Khan聽 Panna told 抖阴精品 that social awareness and vigilance of law enforcement agencies were required to reduce rape incidents in the society.
Dhaka University鈥檚 sociology department honourary professor AI Mahbub Uddin Ahmed pointed out the country鈥檚 ongoing anarchic situation after the August 5, 2024 regime change and lack of values among people as the main reasons behind the 鈥榬ape culture鈥�.
鈥楥rony capitalism and perpetrators鈥� involvement with the powerful quarters encourage miscreants to conduct rape. The miscreants think that they will not have to face trials or convictions,鈥� he added.聽
Inspector general of police Baharul Alam told 抖阴精品 on Sunday that they were arresting the accused persons in rape cases and producing them before the courts.
鈥極ur success rate in arresting accused in rape cases is satisfactory,鈥� the IGP claimed.
Asked about the allegations of lack of vigilance in containing rape, Baharul said that rape was not a preventive crime like robbery and mugging as most of the cases occur at indoor places.
The IGP wanted to know how the police could contain rape incidents that took place in people鈥檚 houses.
On June 26 night, a 21-year old Hindu woman was allegedly raped at her home in a village under Muradnagar upazila in Cumilla. A group of miscreants later stripped off her clothes, grabbed a video of her and shared it on social media. Protests erupted at places in the country after the incident had come to light on June 28.
Countrywide anti-rape protests sparked in March this year following the death of an eight-year-old girl after rape in Magura.
On May 17, the Magura Women and Children Repression (Prevention) Tribunal sentenced prime accused Hitu Sheikh, 50, to death for raping the girl.
On June 25, a woman was allegedly raped by a temporary railway employee on a moving train, Rangpur Express, in Dhaka.
The police arrested four employees of a catering service and the railway authorities suspended the on-duty train guard for his negligence over the incident.
A seven-year-old child was raped on June 13 in a village under Hatibandha upazila in Lalmonirhat.
On June 15, an 11-year old girl was raped near Shahbagh Metro Rail Station in Dhaka at about 8:00pm when the place remained densely populated. The police arrested a 19-year-old youth in the rape case filed with Ramna police station.
At the night following June 15, a 21-year-old girl was raped on a moving bus by its driver and his assistant on the Dhaka-Sylhet highway at Nabiganj in Habiganj. The police rescued the victim from the bus and arrested the driver. His assistant managed to flee.
