397 women raped in last 10 months

At least 2,575 women and girls were subjected to violence during January-October this year, said a Bangladesh Mahila Parishad report today.

The report was unveiled at a press conference at Jatiya Press Club, marking International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women.

According to the report based on 13 national dailies, 397 women were raped while 115 were gangraped during this period. Thirty-one victims were killed after the incident while 12 died by suicide.

Besides, 221 females were physically abused while 443 were killed for various reasons. At least 231 females died mysteriously during this period.

The report documented 21 child marriages, 142 cases of sexual violence and 61 cases of torture for dowry. Among the dowry victims, 45 were killed. Meanwhile, 207 women died by suicide during the stipulated timeframe.

Additionally, 38 females fell prey to cybercrime.

Fauzia Moslem, president of Mahila Parishad, demanded prevention of the victim's marriage with the rapist. "Such marriage is not mentioned as a solution in our law. Moreover, it hurts the victim's self-esteem and their security is also compromised. Such actions are undesirable when it comes to protecting a woman's dignity and rights."

Terming suicide among teenagers an alarming issue, Fauzia recommended initiating counselling services to mitigate the problem. She also highlighted the need to prevent early marriage and implementation of the Anti-Dowry Act.

Maleka Banu, general secretary of the organisation, and Rekha Saha, its legal aid secretary, also spoke.