Dhaka, September 16, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
A leading Bangladesh-based human rights organisation has expressed concern over what it described as recurring incidents of rape, sexual abuse and killings targeting women and children across the country.
Dhaka-based Manusher Jonno Foundation (MJF) reacted strongly to the rape and killing of a seven-year-old girl in Madarganj upazila of Jamalpur district.
According to police, the child was sexually assaulted before being killed. Her body was later found buried beneath the floor of a house, Bangladesh’s The Dhaka Tribune reported.
Condemning the incident and expressing sympathy to the victim’s family, MJF said the Jamalpur case should not be treated as an isolated crime.
The organisation said reports of rape, sexual abuse, harassment and killings of women and children across Bangladesh point to a wider pattern of violence and raise serious questions about their safety at home, in schools and educational institutions, as well as in their communities.
Shaheen Anam, Executive Director of MJF, described the continued reports of violence against women and children as “deeply alarming and unacceptable”.
She stressed that children must have a safe environment at home, while travelling to school, inside educational institutions and within their communities.
“We cannot allow these incidents to become headlines for a few days and then disappear from public attention. Every case must be investigated promptly, those responsible must be held accountable, and stronger protection and prevention systems must be put in place,” Anam said.
“Parents and guardians must also remain attentive to children’s safety, listen to them carefully, and respond quickly to signs of fear, distress or risk. Protecting children requires shared responsibility from families, institutions, communities and the State,” she added.
MJF said protecting women and children should not be limited to action after crimes occur. It called for an emergency-level response to violence against women and children, along with stronger preventive safeguards.
The organisation also called for functioning Sexual Harassment Committees in madrasas and other educational institutions across Bangladesh.
Earlier this month, the Dhaka-based Human Rights Support Society (HRSS) reported that at least 249 women and children were subjected to violence across Bangladesh in August this year, including 79 reported rape cases.
According to the HRSS report, 46 children were among the reported rape victims, while 18 women and girls were subjected to gang rape. The report also documented 93 cases of sexual harassment involving women and girls, including 38 children.
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