663 rape cases in 9 months: Bangladesh sees alarming spike in violence against women

Dhaka: As the world observes the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women on Tuesday, fresh figures highlight a troubling reality in Bangladesh, where 663 women were raped in the first nine months of 2025, local media reported. The United Nations General Assembly designated November 25 as the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women in the year 2000, to raise awareness about all forms of violence against women.

The data, released by the Dhaka-based Human Rights Support Society (HRSS), underscored what rights activists warn is a growing crisis driven by impunity, deteriorating law and order, and the failure of the Muhammad Yunus-led interim government to meet its obligations under international women’s rights conventions, including the Beijing Declaration. Speaking to a leading Bangladeshi daily, Dhaka Tribune, human rights activist Sultana Kamal claimed that the reported number reflects only a fraction of the widespread violence unfolding across the country.

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“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. What we are seeing is already a horrific picture,” she said. According to Sultana, the rising frequency of rape and sexual violence reflects a blatant neglect of women’s rights and dignity. “In an independent country where we take pride in our culture and history, more than six hundred women were raped in just nine months. This shows extreme disregard for women — by families, by society, and by the state,” she stated.

Stressing that the culture of impunity has emboldened perpetrators, Sultana said, “There used to be a belief among criminals that committing these crimes would lead to punishment. That belief has disappeared. When women are tortured without consequence, violence continues. It is an assault on the dignity of women and the sanctity of their bodies.” Furthermore, Bangladesh Mahila Parishad President Fawzia Moslem warned that the surge in violence against girls is deeply alarming. “In many months, more girls are tortured than adult women.

This reflects how cruel the situation has become. Law and order has deteriorated so sharply that anti-women attitudes are being normalised,” she stated. Highlighting the incidents ranging from attacks on women leaders to assaults on ordinary commuters, Fawzia criticised the Yunus-led interim government for its inaction, stating that this emboldened the “anti-women forces and terrorists” in the country. “Anti-women propaganda has grown tremendously in the past 10 months.

Society, education and cultural practices must change. Otherwise, it will be very difficult to stop these crimes,” she mentioned. Bangladesh has witnessed a disturbing escalation in violence against women under the Yunus-led interim government, exposing the rapidly degrading law and order situation in the country.