Last Friday night (May 9), a group of locals vandalized a launch (passenger boat) at Munshiganj terminal after receiving complaints of inappropriate behavior by some passengers. During the incident, a young man named Nehal Ahmed, also known as Jihad, was seen beating two young women in front of a crowd of hundreds. A video of the event went viral on social media, and police later arrested Jihad. The River Police later filed a case against him and 20–25 other unidentified people.

But this isn't the only incident. In the past few months, several acts of violence against women have come to light. Cases of rape and abuse of women and children have also increased. According to police crime data, there were 2,089 reported cases of violence against women and children in April alone—this is the highest number in the last 32 months since September 2022.

The number of cases has increased by 1,218 from 5,795 in the last four months of 2024 to 7,013 in the first four months of 2025.

Experts believe the real situation is even worse than the official statistics show. Many incidents of abuse go unreported every day.

Take the story of Saima Rahman (pseudonym), a student at a private university in Dhaka. Last Thursday, while getting off a bus in Badda, she was inappropriately touched and harassed by a young man. However, out of fear of being shamed online, she hasn't taken any legal steps yet. She said, "I was shocked and didn't know how to react. When I could collect myself, the guy had disappeared into the crowd. I've been taking this route for almost three years, and nothing like this has happened. Since that day, I've been feeling mentally devastated."

"When women speak up about these kinds of incidents, they often face even more harassment on social media. That's why I don't feel brave enough to take legal action," Saima added.

Statistics show that crimes against women have gone up not just compared to the end of 2024, but even when compared to the first four months of last year. In the first four months of 2025, there were 1,467 more cases of violence against women and children than in the same period of 2024.

Dr. Rezwana Karim Snigdha, Associate Professor of Anthropology at Jahangirnagar University (JU), said, "There's a group in our society trying to push women out of public spaces and trap them inside their homes. They want to create fear so that women start believing that staying at home is the safest option. But they fail to realize how badly this will hurt the country's economy. What's most disappointing is that some members of the younger generation, whom we once had high hopes for, are now standing with these groups."

She added, "Getting justice in our country isn't easy. It's expensive and takes a long time. For women, it's even harder. Families and society often blame the victim, making her feel that it's her fault for being harassed. And when a woman tries to seek justice, people shame her even more. Because of all this, many victims choose to stay silent."

Looking at several recent incidents, it's clear that in most cases, the victims, especially women, are the ones being blamed online.

Take the incident in Dhaka's Banasree area on April 2. A female journalist was harassed and beaten that night. She had gone to a juice shop with her younger brother. First, one man behaved inappropriately with her. Then a group of young men joined in and started harassing her. When her brother tried to protest, they beat him. When the journalist tried to stop them, around 10 to 12 men attacked and physically assaulted her, too.

After the female journalist filed a case about the assault in Banasree, police arrested three men. However, once the news and videos of the incident spread on social media, the journalist herself became the target of online abuse. People started posting offensive comments about her on Facebook. A week later, the arrested men were granted bail.

The journalist said to Bonik Barta, "Because I'm a former student of Dhaka University and work as a journalist, I received more support than many others would. Many people stood by me. But even then, the mental stress I went through was beyond words. A group supporting the harassers launched a smear campaign online. They spread vulgar and false things about me, even in my neighborhood. They tried to ruin my reputation and put my safety at risk."

She continued, "If I, someone with social standing and access to support, had to face such a situation, imagine what it's like for women from less privileged backgrounds. It's terrifying."

On March 5, a female student from Dhaka University was harassed on campus over her clothing. Following the incident, the university handed over Mostafa Asif, a library assistant at the central library, to the Shahbagh police station. But shockingly, a group of people publicly came out in support of him. When the court granted him bail the next day, March 6, supporters welcomed him with flower garlands.

When asked about the rise in violence against women, Dr. Tania Haque, a professor of Women and Gender Studies at Dhaka University (DU), told Bonik Barta, "One of the main reasons these crimes keep happening is because we still haven't built a system where women feel safe—no matter where they are. Our laws still don't treat everyone equally. There's one system for the powerful, and another for those without power. Since the political unrest, the state still hasn't fully stabilized. And because women are often seen as weaker, they are the ones suffering the most in this unstable environment."

Dr. Tania Haque added, "If we want to change this situation, we must strengthen our system. Power must not be abused—we need a true rule of law. People must be made to respect the law."

An analysis of police crime statistics shows that in the last nine months, there have been a total of 13,880 reported incidents of violence against women and children in Bangladesh. Among them, March and April saw the highest number of cases.

Dr. Sajjad Siddiqui, acting chair of the Department of Peace and Conflict Studies at Dhaka University, explained, "After any political upheaval, it takes time for a country to return to normal law and order—and Bangladesh is no exception. But our biggest problem is that, over the past 15 years, most of our state institutions have been weakened or ineffective. This includes the police, who play a key role in maintaining order. The previous government used the police in such a way that people lost trust in them. Even now, the situation isn't fully stable. Many police officers are still not confident or fully prepared to take action. Some hesitate to enforce the law, and that creates openings for criminals. At the same time, certain groups are trying to impose 'moral policing' on others. The good news is that most people—and the government—do not support these actions."

Speaking about the current situation, Enamul Haque Sagor, AIG (Media) of the police headquarters, told Bonik Barta, "To take quick action against violence toward women, the police launched a special hotline on March 10, 2025. This helps victims get legal support faster. Police take every case of violence against women very seriously. Every police station has a Women and Child Service Desk, where female officers assist victims. We also raise awareness in the community during local meetings, courtyard discussions, and public forums."

"Stopping violence against women requires everyone's support—police, society, and families. Strong social and family values play a big role in prevention," he added.