Dhaka, Aug 17 (IANS) Over 1,660 women and girls in Bangladesh faced different forms of violence between January and July this year, local media reported on Monday, citing a rights organisation.
According to the rights body, at least 1667 females faced different crimes, including the killing of 83 girls and 258 women and the rape of 292 women.
The figures were released by a women's rights body, Bangladesh Mohila Parishad, during a human chain outside the Jatiya Press Club in Dhaka on Sunday afternoon to protest the persistent violence, rape, murder and killing of children across the country.
Speakers at the programme expressed deep concern over the escalating violence against women, saying Bangladesh has increasingly become a "safe haven" for rape and abuse.
Addressing the gathering, Mohila Parishad president Fauzia Moslem said that an analysis of data revealed that 83 girls and 258 women were killed over the past seven months, while 31 incidents involved rape and post-rape murder.
She, however, warned that the figures might not fully reflect the actual extent of the violence, leading Bangladeshi media outlet UNB reported.
"The information we are getting has mainly been compiled from a limited number of newspaper reports, based on data from only 14 newspapers. Yet there are numerous other media outlets in the country. Had we received data from all media, the real picture of violence against women could have been far more alarming," Moslem said, raising concerns over women's right to live and safety in Bangladesh.
According to Mohila Parishad General Secretary Maleka Banu, 1,667 women and children were subjected to different forms of violence between January and July, with 292 women and girls among those raped.
"These incidents make it clear that women and children in Bangladesh are not fully safe anywhere today. It is not just rape or sexual violence; women and children are also falling victim to murder, torture and various other forms of violence. The most worrying part is that we are failing to bring down this trend of violence. Even children who have not yet reached physical and mental maturity, who have not yet reached an age where they identify themselves as women, are becoming victims of sexual violence," UNB quoted Banu as saying.
The speakers stressed that entrenched patriarchal attitudes and discriminatory social norms in the country failed to treat women with dignity. They called for a broader social movement, stronger enforcement of laws, and effective oversight to prevent ongoing violence, rape, murder and killing of children.
They further urged the Bangladeshi authorities to govern the country with patriotism, humanity and responsibility to restore human rights that have been violated.
--IANS
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