Bangladesh is witnessing a rapid increase in crimes against women under the watch of ‘chief advisor’ to the interim government, Muhammad Yunus. More than 24 cases of rape have been reported in the country within a span of just 9 days.
According to a report by Dhaka Tribune, the heinous crimes were committed between 20th June and 29th June this year. The situation has become so grim that Sharmeen S Murshid described the sexual violence as ‘pandemic-level crisis.’
Murshid, who serves as the adviser to the Ministry of Women and Child Affairs in Bangladesh, informed that her Ministry’s toll-free number has received 2.81 lakh complaints over the past 10–11 months of the Yunus regime.
She added that only about 100 women have so far received support. Murshid did not mince words before highlighting the deplorable state of affairs under the ‘chief advisor.’
“Violence is being committed in families, workplaces, public spaces, and online. Despite Section 14 of the Women and Children Repression Prevention Act and the High Court’s directives, victims’ photos are still being published in the media. Offensive video clips are aired, which is a violation of the law. Instead, it is the perpetrators—rapists and abusers—whose identities must be exposed,” Sharmeen S Murshid remarked.
She also talked about the rising cases of sexual violence in madrassas by Islamic clerics, who have been bolstered under the Yunus regime.
“Madrasas often remain out of sight, but child sexual abuse is taking place there too. We’re not getting the data. Our officials will now go directly to schools and madrasas to ensure accountability,” Sharmeen S Murshid pointed out.
The adviser to the Ministry of Women and Child Affairs in Bangladesh later attempted to divert focus from the current law and order situation under Muhammad Yunus.
She had claimed, “I have been working on violence against women and children for 40 years. Governments have come and gone, but none have been able to tackle the issue.”
The recent brutal rape of a Hindu woman in Muradnagar in Cumilla by BNP leader Fazor Ali and subsequent attempts to character assassinate the victim has left the minority Hindu community of Bangladesh in a state of shock and trauma.
Deteriorating law and order situation in Bangladesh
In March this year, the Human Rights Support Society (HRSS) published its report exposing the deteriorating law and order situation in Bangladesh
The report revealed the grim human rights situation in Bangladesh. Human rights violations highlighted by HRSS include mob lynching, extrajudicial killings, political violence, child abuse, harassment of women and journalists and attempts to suppress freedom of speech.
The report highlighted an atmosphere of anxiety and fear among the common people due to increase in crimes such as murders, rapes, extortion, theft, snatching, and robbery.
The human rights body reported that at least 9 people were killed and 755 others were injured in political violence in February. A total of 104 incidents were found by HRSS for the same period.
HRSS also reported 10 deaths and 13 injuries in 17 different incidents of mob violence. It also pointed out that at least 107 children and women were tortured. 53 (comprises of 38 children) of them were subjected to brutal rape.
On 12th February this year, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) published a 104-page report detailing atrocities committed against vulnerable Hindu minorities in Bangladesh.
The report titled ‘Human Rights Violations and Abuses related to the Protests of July and August 2024 in Bangladesh.’ Its publication becomes crucial since the interim government in Bangladesh, led by Muhammad Yunus, is pandering to Islamists.
The findings of the OHCHR expose the grim reality that Muhammad Yunus tried to brush under the carpet. He has largely remained a ‘mute spectator’ to targeted attacks, aimed at erasing the history of Awami League in the context of Bangladesh’s independence and politics.
Bangladesh is witnessing a drastic rise in vigilante Muslim mobs, unleashing violence under the pretext of protecting the tenets of Islam. These mobs are largely unorganised but they call themselves ‘Tawhidi Janata (meaning Revolutionary People).’
They have come under the spotlight over recent acts of vandalism and harassment of people. Following the undemocratic ouster of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in August 2024, violent Muslim mobs operating under the banner of ‘Tawhidi Janta’ have become bolstered.
Yunus’ regime has released Islamic hardliners and convicted terrorists and tried to downplay attacks on Hindu minorities as ‘fake‘, ‘exaggerated‘ or ‘politically motivated‘.
