Beside the city’s electricity grid, a growing storm of violence is sweeping across Bangladesh. At a press briefing on the International Day for the Prevention of Violence against Women, leaders of the Bangladesh Mahila Parishad warned that mob attacks have surged, leaving a trail of traumatic incidents for women and girls that is hard to ignore.
Statistical evidence from Prothom Alo paints a grim picture: between January and October 2025 alone, media outlets reported 2,468 separate cases of violence against women and girls. Within that list, 713 victims suffered rape, gang‑rape, or turned to suicide after an assault. Beyond sexual violence, the data show a spectrum of brutality—from murders and domestic abuse to dowry disputes, child marriage, kidnapping, and internet‑based harassment.
When asked what might curb the escalating brutality, Fawzia Moslem, president of the organisation, said, “Proper implementation of the law, change in patriarchal attitudes and social institutions must play a role against torture. Misogynistic propaganda must be firmly suppressed. There have been incidents of torture of women in the media as well. A standard needs to be set here too.”
She added that accountability is essential: “If women’s pain stays hidden, the cycle of violence continues; the law must speak louder than fear.”
Masuda Rehana Begum, joint secretary, echoed the urgency, noting that a five‑year trend analysis shows no decline in the number of attacks on women and children. Seema Moslem raised another core point—true empowerment cannot exist without women’s influence over decision‑making, urging the government to consider direct elections for women’s reserved seats in parliament.
The 2024 Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics report sheds further light on the prevalence of abuse: 76 % of women reported exposure to physical, mental, sexual, or financial mistreatment, most often perpetrated by their spouses. Political changes under interim Prime Minister Muhammad Yunus have not soothed the situation; an alarming 663 women were raped during the first nine months of 2025, according to preliminary data from the Human Rights Support Society.
Human‑rights advocate Sultana Kamal, writing for Dhaka Tribune, insists that these figures are merely the tip of the iceberg: “We learn about rape and torture when they reach the media, usually after a murder or a particularly brutal incident. There are countless forms of violence that never come to light.” She lamented the scarcity of protective mechanisms, noting that a former belief once existed that perpetrators would be punished. “That belief has disappeared,” she said, “and with impunity, crimes against women continue unabated.”
In sum, the voices of the Mahila Parishad, field activists, and statistical agencies converge on a chilling reality: violence against women in Bangladesh is on the rise, fueled by systemic injustice, lack of enforcement, and societal indifference. Unless there is a coordinated legal and cultural overhaul, the trend promises to persist.
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