Acknowledge the rape epidemic

We are disappointed by the home minister’s recent remarks in parliament that the number of rape cases has “slightly increased” as more victims are coming forward to file complaints and police are promptly registering cases. While it may be true that more cases are being filed, it is presumptuous to hint that the number of reports has increased after the new government took office. That is hardly the point and such a remark dismisses the enormity of the epidemic of rape incidents in the country. What should worry us is not just the numbers, but the fact that minor girls and boys have been victims of rape, with many being killed afterwards.

Ain O Shalish Kendra, which collects data from newspapers and news portals, has found that between January and May 2026, the number of rape and gang rape cases reported was 239. Out of those, 27 victims were under six years old, 60 were aged between 7 and 12 years, and 34 were between 13 and 18 years. Around 16 of these children were murdered after rape—four of them were under six and 10 were under 12 years of age. This does not include the numbers for June, a month during which the news media have reported rape, gang rape, and murder of many more women and children. In some cases, the child victim was found dismembered in the perpetrators’ attempt to escape justice. We saw this in the highly publicised rape and murder case of a second-grade student who was beheaded by her attacker in Mirpur.

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It is commendable that some of these cases involving minors have been swiftly dealt with by the legal system, with prompt arrests and quick disposal of cases where the evidence was overwhelming. But often it was public pressure, especially condemnations on social media, that led to the government expediting the legal process. For most other cases, the victims’ or their family’s wait for justice run into years, if it is attained at all.

According to a recent report by The Daily Star, over 10 lakh cases are currently pending in the country’s Women and Children Repression Prevention Tribunals, with over 10,000 rape cases remaining unresolved for more than five years. The home minister’s remarks were made in response to an independent MP’s criticism of the ministry’s performance concerning law and order. The MP claimed that the monthly law and order data show that since BNP assumed office, the situation has improved except in the rape cases.

A little more sensitivity is expected from our parliamentarians when speaking about the horrific trend of rape that shows no sign of abating. We want the government to acknowledge that such a heinous crime as rape has risen frighteningly in terms of instances over the years, to clamp down on perpetrators, and to ensure justice for survivors and victims. The public, and especially the survivors and families of victims, want to hear how cases will be disposed of speedily, that perpetrators will not escape through legal loopholes or by using influence, and that survivors will be protected and ensured justice.