Politics

Protests flare up in Bangladesh against rape, sexual assault

By Azad Majumder

Dhaka, Oct 8 (efe-epa).- Hundreds of people chanted slogans, flashed placards as they protested for the fourth consecutive day in Bangladesh on Thursday, demanding action against rape and sexual assaults on women in the country.

The protest began earlier this week after a video of a woman getting sexually assaulted and tortured by a group of men in the Begumganj area of southern Noakhali district went viral on social media.

The video, which was taken down from social media after a court order, showed the men, aged between 20 and 30, stripping the woman in her mid-30s, molesting her, and beating and dragging her as she kept begging for mercy.

One of the molesters captured the video of the incident that occurred on the night of Sep 2. He uploaded it on social media on Sunday in a little over a month after the incident.

Shahjahan Sheikh, the additional police superintend of Noakhali district, told EFE that they had arrested 10 accused in connection with the incident so far.

“Last night, we arrested a villager for his involvement in the rape. His name was not mentioned in the case but came after interrogating other accused,” he said.

But the protesters were not happy with just police action one incident of rape.

“We want the end of rape and violence against women and a speedy trial of all accused in rape cases,” said Shovan Rahman, a protester and the leader of a student group.

The demand of protesters included the resignation of the Bangladesh home minister, who, according to Rahman, made a very “insensitive” remark about rape in a recent press conference.

“We will not end this protest until he resigned or is removed. He said rape is happening in everywhere in the world. This is insensitive comment and disrespectful to the victims,” Rahman said.

Rahman was part of some 300 hundred protesters belonging to different student groups, who gathered in front of the National Museum near Dhaka’s Shahbagh intersection in the morning carrying a banner of “Bangladesh against rape and impunity.”

The protesters also carried colorful placards, some of which read, “No Mercy to Rapist,” “Rape is not sex, rape is violence,” “No more shielding to the rapist,” “We want to be saved, not to be raped.”

Protesters also demanded the end of the culture of impunity that they said often encouraged the rapist.

“In the last 15 days, we have seen about 90 incidents of rape in Bangladesh. Ruling party supporters are involved with most of these rapes. Due to power, they think they can do whatever they wish,” said Rokhsana Afroz, a student of Eden Women’s College in Dhaka.

Television footage showed protests also held in several other areas in Dhaka and other cities.

According to rights group Ain O Salish Kendra, 975 women were raped in Bangladesh between January and September this year.

Among the victims, 208 were gang-raped, and 43 of them were killed after rape while 12 other victims committed suicide.

Quoting government data, international rights group Amnesty International said, in a statement on Tuesday, that only 3.56 percent of cases filed between 2001 and July 2020 under the Prevention of Oppression Against Women and Children Act 2000 Act had resulted in court judgments.

Only 0.37 percent of cases have ended with convictions, it said.

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