Protest against recent incidents of rape and harassment of women in Bangladesh

Dhaka: A student in the Women and Gender Studies Department at Dhaka University, Zarin Rafiza, participated in a demonstration against the recent rapes and assaults of women in Bangladesh, including the death of an 8-year-old child.

“We want to see action against rape and violence against women right now,” she said.

In an effort to demand justice, hundreds of university students from all around Bangladesh, including Rafiza, have flocked to the streets to boycott lectures and examinations.

After being raped in the western Magura area, an eight-year-old girl is now fighting for her life. The youngster is receiving treatment at an army hospital in Dhaka due to her serious condition. People all around the nation are furious about the occurrence, and female activists are calling for the rapists to be executed right once. Among the phrases they yelled was “We want justice.”

Zarin Rafiza told ANI, “We are protesting here today for resisting the ongoing violence that has been happening all over the country, especially against women,” as she stood in front of the sculpture of an indomitable Bengal at Dhaka University called Oporajeyo Bangla.

This month, we are commemorating International Women’s Day. It has been evident for a considerable amount of time that women have been the victims of violence. The matter of August 5th is not significant at this time because we must oppose the ongoing violence,” she said.

After weeks of demonstrations and bloodshed, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was overthrown in August 2024 by a student-led uprising. A UN fact-finding assessment study estimates that up to 1,400 people may have died during the demonstrations. After Hasina, 76, fled to India, Nobel Laureate Muhammad Yunus headed an interim administration.

“It’s been a long time since we spoke. The administration hasn’t taken any obvious action to stop or put an end to the violence that has been occurring,” Rafiza said.

“Words are no longer something we really believe. To be honest, we want action.
It is imperative that what they have discussed be put into practice, beginning right now. From this day forward, we want justice. Justice has been postponed for a very long time; thus, we want reform to start now. Right now, we see no hope. Given the current state of the nation, we can see that justice will be done right now,” she said.

In the midst of widespread demonstrations against rape and violence against women, the current interim administration has pledged to expedite the investigative process.

According to Asif Nazrul, the interim government’s legal counsel, “the accused cannot be granted bail on the pretext of not completing the trial within 90 days.”

Women in Bangladesh say that after the August shift last year, there has been a rise in rape and violence against women.

“The law has to be changed, and people’s attitudes need to change. Unfortunately, the laws, institutions, and religion of our patriarchal culture are all used to denigrate, normalize, and support violence against women. Every aspect of society has to undergo transformation, Rafiza said. They have suggested that the definition of rape be modified.

“We have firmly spoken against the use of religion as a means of normalizing or sustaining violence against women. That is crucial because we have seen that religious leaders have been encouraging violence against women by using their words or lectures. We certainly want it to end,” Rafiza said.