Due to patronisation of the terrorists of the BNP and the National Citizen Party (NCP) and radical Islamists of Jamaat-Hefazat, mobocracy has replaced democracy and the rule of law, with Bangladesh experiencing brutal mob killings, assaults, moral policing, looting, and arson every day.
Activists say such injustice has been commonplace in the last 11 months, thanks to a dysfunctional police department, media, and judiciary.
While male members of a family may get accustomed to mob culture with every passing day as they stay outside most of the time, dreadful incidents like hacking, beating, snatching, and verbal abuse scare the women and children the most.
These incidents of violence are severely disrupting the status of women, their normal lives, and their independent movement. They are also creating obstacles in the way of the progress of students in school and college, which is why child marriage is increasing alarmingly.
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Although there are highly educated rights activists at the forefront of the government, their main strength is the extremist fundamentalist group, the Touhidi Janata.
While the attackers often use the banner โTouhidi Janata,โ which refers to radical Islamists, the mobs prominently include local leaders of the governmentโs kingโs party, the NCP, BNP, Jamaat-e-Islami, Hefazat-e-Islam, Islami Andolan Bangladesh, and Bangladesh Khelafat Majlish.
In the last few months, at least three incidents of public harassment and physical abuse of women were widely discussed. While many were demanding the speedy arrest and trial of the abusers, on the other hand, the Touhidi Janata influenced the police and the courts to release them.
They got bail quickly and were welcomed by the Touhidi Janata with garlands and the Quran.
According to Manabadhikar Shongskriti Foundation (MSF) data, 363 cases of violence against women and children occurred in June. There were 63 rape cases, 17 gang rapes, and four rapes and murders. Of the 63, seven were disabled, 19 were children, and 23 were teenagers.
The Bangladesh Mahila Parishad has reported 481 cases of rape against women and girls from January to June this year, with 345 of the victims being children. During this period, 106 were gang rapes, and 17 victims were killed after the assault. There were also 51 cases of sexual harassment and 34 incidents of stalking.
Murder was the second most reported form of violence, with 320 women and girls killed.
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On the other hand, the rape of a Hindu housewife and a mob filming her naked in Cumilla drew criticism for the lack of the rule of law. The Human Rights Congress for Bangladesh Minorities (HRCBM) reports 13 gang rapes of Hindu women in the Cumilla district alone since April 2025, highlighting targeted attacks on minorities.
Here are some examples of brutal rape incidents:
Magura
Eight-year-old Asiya was raped brutally raped by her sisterโs father-in-law on March 6 while visiting their house in Magura town. She died while undergoing treatment on March 13. The trial of this case took 21 days after the filing of charges, and the culprit, Hitu Sheikh, was handed down the death penalty.
Rangpur
An eight-year-old girl was raped and hacked to death with a sharp weapon, and her body was buried in sand in Mithapukur Upazila of Rangpur on May 11. The child was picking litchis near the house of Fazlu Mia, 45, son of the deceased Nesar Uddin, in Buzruk Santoshpur Sreepur area. Fazlu took the child home, promising to give her a lot of litchis and raped her. When the child screamed, Fazlu hacked her to death with a sharp weapon. He later kept the body under the sand outside the house, but was caught by the locals.
On February 21, a fourth-grade student who had gone to collect flowers to pay homage to the Language Movement martyrs was raped by surveyor Ruhul Amin in Mirzapur Rathia village of Mithapukur, Rangpur.
Brahmanbaria
A nine-year-old girl was raped and strangled to death on the second floor of a mosque in Sarail Upazila on July 5.
Pabna
The body of an eight-year-old girl who went missing in Chatmohar, Pabna, on April 14 was recovered from a cornfield next to her house. The child’s face was burned. She was raped before being killed. Four teenagers and a young man were arrested for the rape-murder. Police said the accused had prepared to consume marijuana and have fun on the occasion of the Bengali New Year. In the meantime, when the girl went to a mango orchard in the village, they picked her up and went to a banana orchard. There, four of them raped her. Later, she was taken to a cornfield and raped again. Then, the rapists strangled her to death and poured acid in her face.
Narayanganj
Grocer Rezaul Karim, 50, raped a two-year-old child from a house near his shop in Satgram Union of Araihazar, Narayanganj, on March 25. She was playing in the yard of the house when the father was out on business and his wife was busy with household chores. Rezaul took the child to the shop by luring her with chocolate and raped her.
Bogura
Nur Islam, 40, raped a six-year-old girl and attempted to rape another child of the same age at his house in Kahalu, Bogura, on March 12. He threatened to kill them if they told anyone about this.
A housewife and her father-in-law were killed by miscreants in their own house in Laxmi Mandap village of Jianagar Union in Dupchanchia Upazila of Bogura district. The housewife’s husband is an expatriate in Saudi Arabia. On Tuesday night, July 8, her father-in-law, Aftab Hossain, and the deceased housewife were sleeping in their respective rooms with their daughters, Maliha and Riva. The next morning, Maliha found her mother lying on the bed next to her with her hands tied and a veil around her neck. Hearing her cries, the neighbours came and found Aftab Hossain lying on the ground on the balcony with his hands and feet tied with ropes and a rope and cloth around his neck. Police recovered the bodies and suspected that the housewife had been suffocated to death after being raped.
Savar
Nur Islam, 37, raped a four-year-old child of his neighbour in Kathgara area of Ashulia, Savar on May 7, by luring her to his house.
Feni
Shopkeeper Nizam Uddin, 55, raped a five-year-old child in Feni’s Parshuram on May 17. Nizam Uddin is the son of Shuja Uddin of Dakshin Kolapara village in the municipality.
Jashore
A 10-year-old madrasa girl was raped by her cousin on June 7, while visiting her aunt’s house in Jhikargachha Upazila of Jashore on Eid. The cousin, Nazmus Shakib alias Nayan, 19, also strangled her before throwing her body into a pond and spreading the news that she was missing. Nayan studies at the Machna Qawmi Madrasa in Monirampur.
Sirajganj
Abdul Majid Minu, 36, raped a six-year-old child of a neighbour in Kazipur Upazila of Sirajganj by luring her to eat mangoes on May 25.
Habiganj
On July 6, Shah Alam, 37, of Madhabpur Upazila of Habiganj, raped a seven-year-old child of his neighbour when her mother went out for urgent work.
Dhaka
Md. Yusuf Ali Patwari, 65, of Kadamtali, took a five-year-old girl of a neighbour to the third floor of a closed factory and raped her by luring her with chocolate and biscuits on April 26. The girl’s mother works as a scrap metal dealer in the Kadamtali area. The incident occurred when she went out for work.
A five-year-old child was raped by a neighbour named Robin in Nayabazar village, adjacent to Ati Bazar in Keraniganj, Dhaka, on March 16. She was playing near the house when the man lured her to a nearby place and raped her.
A six-year-old girl was raped by a teenager, 16, in the Khilkhet Bazar area on March 18. The boy, who works at a scrap shop, was caught and beaten up by a mob in the presence of the police.
CNG auto-rickshaw driver Md. Nazim Uddin, 45, raped a six-year-old child of a neighbour in Daulatpur village of Kailail Union in Nawabganj, Dhaka, on March 18. The child was playing at her home in the afternoon when Nazim tactfully took her to a nearby bathroom and raped her.
On June 25, a woman passenger was raped in the toilet of the Rangpur Express train while it was waiting for departure at the Kamalapur railway station. The Railway Police arrested train PA operator Saiful Islam, 28, in connection with the incident.
On June 14, a woman approached a neighbour, Akkas Ali, to borrow Tk1,000 in Dhakaโs Khilkhet. Akas promised to give her the money and took her to Amanullah Bhuiyan’s house. When they got there, Akkas and Amanullah raped her in turn.
Chattogram
A 70-year-old man named Md. Yusuf raped a six-year-old girl by luring her with Tk100 in the Bhatiari Hasanbad Sandwip Para area of Sitakunda, Chattogram on March 10.
A seven-year-old child was raped in the Chinki Astana area of Mirsarai, Chattogram on March 31 on the afternoon of Eid, when she was playing in the courtyard. At that time, Dulal Driver, 47, took her home by luring her to watch TV and raped her.
On April 15, bus driver Md. Lokman and his assistant, Md. Hanif locked a 14-year-old girl inside a bus after she reached the Bahaddarhat bus terminal in the city from Coxโs Bazar. Later, the driver, his assistant, and his bus supervisor, Mobarak Hossain, gang-raped her.
Coxโs Bazar
A 10-year-old madrasa girl from Lohagara, Chattogram, was abducted and raped by her teacher, Belal Uddi,n at a hotel in Chakaria, Cox’s Bazar, on July 11.
Faridpur
On March 7, a 14-year-old was arrested on charges of raping a four-and-a-half-year-old girl, luring her for a ride on a bicycle in Kanaipur Union of Faridpur.
Jamalpur
A teenager, 15, lured his neighbour’s five-year-old girl to his house by tempting her to show him his mobile phone. Later, he raped her by playing loud music. The incident took place in the Paschim Char Partabaj area in Madarganj, Jamalpur, on March 10.
Bagerhat
Malek Fakir, 45, in Mongla, Bagerhat, who had been in jail for raping his daughter, was arrested for raping a five-year-old child on March 8. The child was playing in front of her uncle’s house. At that time, Malek Fakir lured her to his house by offering her chocolate and raped her.
Kushtia
Bisha Mondal, 60, raped a five-year-old child in Kushtia Sadar Upazila on June 11. The village arbitrators called a meeting in this regard and resolved the matter by slapping the accused.
Cumilla
A village arbitration fined rapist Babul Mia Tk5,000 and six hits with a shoe for raping a six-year-old child in Muradnagar, Cumilla. Since the victim’s family did not accept the verdict, they were threatened during the arbitration, saying that if they did not comply with the headmen’s decision and complained to the police station, they would have to leave the area.
Dinajpur
Sekandar Ali Chokdar, 65, a syrup seller in the Charmuktarpur area of Munshiganj, raped two children aged 8 and 10 on March 2, after luring them to buy food and balloons for them.
On June 8, a nine-year-old schoolgirl was playing with other children in Khansama Upazila of Dinajpur when her parents were busy drying paddies in a nearby field. At that time, the child got thirsty and went to the house of Nurunnabi Islam, 21, but the accused locked her in the room and raped her.
Gaibandha
On June 27, Habil Mia, 50, of Palupara village of Katabari Union in Gobindaganj, Gaibandha, raped a six-year-old child of the same area and fled. He was caught by locals the next day and was beaten to death.
Manikganj
A teenager, 15, raped a three-year-old girl at a wedding in Manikganj Sadar Upazila on March 7. The child went to a wedding event with her parents. The rapist took the child to a cornfield near the house, promised to buy her chocolates, and raped her.
Panchagarh
A housewife was gang-raped by six men who held her two-year-old child hostage in an area adjacent to a tea garden in the Tin Mile Surivita area of Panchagarh. On July 4, she was going to her father’s house in the Panchagarh Sadar area with her two-year-old son, who was sick, on an easy bike from the jute mill. Later, when she reached the Surivita area, a familiar driver of another easy bike started calling her by name. As soon as she stopped, six people, including Johnny, took her to the nearby place, held a knife to the throat of the child and raped her in turn. At one stage, she fell unconscious. Later, the rapists left her on the roadside and fled.
SUST, Sylhet
The Shahjalal University of Science and Technology (SUST) administration on June 24, 2025, expelled third-year students Shanto Tara Adnan and Swagat Das Partha of the university’s sociology department (2021-22 session) for raping a classmate. They were arrested on June 19 in a case filed for raping and videotaping a female student of the university on May 2.
Netrokona
Faisal Ahmed Durjoy, the now expelled joint convener of Durgapur Upazila Chhatra Dal in Netrokona, got his friend arrested by telling the police that he was a leader of the banned Chhatra League and then raped his fiancรฉe.
Bhola
A housewife was raped by a mob that held her two children hostage in Bhola. A gang of youths, led by Kamal, son of neighbour Keru Majhi, entered the woman’s house when she was sleeping with her two children. They tied her hands and feet, raped her, and threatened to kill her children.
Gaibandha
A woman was beaten up severely for not withdrawing a rape case in the Sadullapur police station area of Gaibandha. The case says Naeem Mia raped the young woman several times on the promise of marriage. When she became pregnant, Naeem and his associates deliberately caused her to have an abortion. On May 27, the woman’s mother filed a case with the police station on charges of rape and abortion. To withdraw the case, Naeem’s father, Shahid Mia, and his men picked up the woman and beat her with the intent to kill her.
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