Sexual Violence and Rape Cases in Bangladesh from 2001-2021

The progress for Bangladesh in socio-economic field is noticeable and achievements toward family planning and gender equity are also praise worthy. However, despite all of these achievements, the rates of sexual violence cases have been intensified over the time period.

How ‘Rape’ is defined

WHO describes sexual violence and rape as, ‘Any sexual act, attempt to obtain a sexual act, unwanted sexual comments or advances, or acts to traffic or otherwise directed against a person’s sexuality using coercion, by any person regardless of their relationship to the victim, in any setting, including but not limited to home and work’.

Whereas, in Bangladesh, rape has been defined under section 375 of the Penal Code in 1860. It describes rape as ‘Firstly, when a man commits sexual intercourse with a woman against her will. Secondly, without her consent. Thirdly, with her consent when this consent has been obtained by putting fear of death or hurt. Fourthly, with her consent when she thinks the man committing sexual intercourse is her husband whereas the man knows that he is not that man to whom he thinks to be lawfully married, Fifthly, with or without her consent when she is below fourteen years age’ (Laws Of Bangladesh, 1860). On the other hand, ‘sexual intercourse’ is explained as penetration only.

Trends and Patterns of Rape from 2001-2021 in Bangladesh

WHO states that, bout 30% of the women have been violated by an intimate partner or by a non-partner during their lifetime sexually or physically and most of this violence is intimate partner violence. Globally, almost 27% (one third) of women of the reproductive age (from 15-49 years) who have been in a relationship, have reported that they have been subjected to some form of physical and sexual violence by their intimate partner (WHO, 2021). It has been observed that, nearly 60% of Bangladeshi men are found performing violent behaviors towards their wives(Islam et al., 2017). Again, it is in the second place in reporting sexual violence by their intimate partners (WHO, 2020).

In 2001, total number of rape victims was 622 and it reached 1350 in 2002. Again, started to decline in 2004. After 5 years, the number of victims declined to 456 and tended to increase again in 2010. Since then, the number did not decline and reached a thousand in 2019. In 2020 the situation became worse resulting in the numbers to increase to 1538, which is the highest number in all these years (Odhikar, 2021). COVID-19 has witnessed a hike in the numbers of sexual violence and rape. In a research by BRAC, it has been documented that, during COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, there was a sharp increase in domestic and sexual violence observed among women and girls, which was about 70% (Sifat, 2020). The cases of rape in Bangladesh has also increased during this time period (Odhikar, 2021).

Until 2006 there were no clear data available on gang rapes in Bangladesh. Odhikar, had been working on the number of rape victims. They started to document the number of gang rapes and deaths after rape from 2007. As per their records, the number of gang rapes was about 79 in 2007. With time, the number increased rapidly and after 15 years, it reached to 283 in 2021. The number of persons killed after being raped was the highest in 2008, which was about 98 and the numbers  remained high as such until 2011. After 2011 it started to decline and decreased to 43 in 2021 (Odhikar, 2021).

Moreover, as per the January 2022 data of Ain o Salish Kendra, there were a total of 62 rapes in January alone, while 14 of them were gang rapes. Such an alarming situation demands immediate actions to reduce the rates.

Here are some emergency help line numbers.

HOTLINE AND PROTECTION MECHANISM

Data source: Odhikar | Protecting human rights in Bangladesh

Image Source: The Daily Observer

References:

• Islam, M. J., Rahman, M., Broidy, L., Haque, S. E., Saw, Y. M., Duc, N. H. C., Haque, M. N., Rahman, M. M., Islam, M. R., & Mostofa, M. G. (2017). Assessing the link between witnessing inter-parental violence and the perpetration of intimate partner violence in Bangladesh. BMC Public Health, 17(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-017-4067-4
• Odhikar (2021). Retrieved from http://odhikar.org/
• WHO. (2021). Retrieved from https://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/handle/10665/77434/WHO_RHR_12.37_eng.pdf;jsessionid=5AA122953AD9CDA4013FF402789C7FA3?sequence=1
• Sifat, R. I. (2020). Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on domestic violence in Bangladesh. In Asian Journal of Psychiatry (Vol. 53). Elsevier B.V. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ajp.2020.102393
• Laws Of Bangladesh. (1860). Retrieved from http://bdlaws.minlaw.gov.bd/act-11/section-3231.html
• WHO. (2021). Retrieved from https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/violence-against-women