Despite clearing the death penalty as the punishment for rape last October, these heinous crimes continue to terrorize Bangladesh. Several incidents are regularly reported from different parts of the country and there seems to be no end to it. Anika Khan reports.
The anti-rape protests have burgeoned since the mid of 2020. Unfortunately, there has not been a significant decrease in rape incidents despite the protests and reformed laws.
The rape and murder of an O-level student sparked new outrage across the nation. Hundreds of people from all backgrounds took over the streets with candles protesting against victim-blaming and demanding justice for the girl.
Nishat Ma’am (authority from the school that the victim studied in) said, ” We should not limit our young girls. We should not tell them not to go alone or not to stay out after a certain time. Rather we should educate the boys.” She added, ” It is high time we ensure security for our children”.
Ain O Salish Kendra (ASK) recorded an average of four women in Bangladesh being raped daily and that too amidst an ongoing pandemic. This figure alone should be a grief concern for the government and push people to ask questions and search for solutions.
What can be done to shatter the rape culture in Bangladesh?
- Rape is not a context that exists only in the boundary of our subcontinent, incessant victim shaming is.
- We have to break the fear of the stigmatization that keeps women and children from reporting these heinous crimes.
- The lack of sex education amongst the people in this country is quite baffling. Consent and sex education should be made mandatory in high schools.
- Both the parents and educational institutions need to instigate that every human being should be respected and treated with compassion.
- Rules need to be reformed and the prosecution process needs to be quicker. Amnesty International and other organizations came forwards to convey that the death penalty is not the solution to rape.
