How many more?
Life is hard. For you, going through the motions is easier said than done, especially given your mental and physical impairments. You've spent every day of your life under the heel of your disabilities, with little to no control over how you act, speak, or even think. Seated on a chair, you flick through the channels on television and a smile begins to appear on your face. This is the best part of your day, because the virtual world on that little screen brings you solace and an escape from your forlorn reality.
All of a sudden, without any warning, a strange man breaks into your house and before you have time to panic, he sexually assaults you. Your parents aren't home; no one can hear your screams. Your disabilities don't let you struggle. And so, you lay there. Helpless and powerless, you can do nothing but wait for the trauma to end.
Many will have been unable to relate to this story, but not everyone is so lucky. This was the case for a 14-year-old girl with special needs in Lalmonirhat on Saturday, October 3, 2020. Her accused perpetrator, Shamsul Alam, fled the scene and is yet to answer for his crime. It is easy to brush over this as a rare occurrence; yet just two days later, a 12-year-old girl with disabilities was similarly heinously raped in Rangamati.
These are just two instances among countless rape incidents that have taken place in recent years. According to various credible media reports, an estimated total of 632 rape cases took place just between April and August of this calendar year. This figure roughly translates to an average of four women being raped every single day for the last five months.
Needless to say, these are extremely concerning statistical figures. Yet even more alarmingly, those are only the cases that are being reported. Several of these cases involved victims that were gang raped, while others involved victims aged as young as 1 to 6 years old (Source: Ain o Salish Kendra – Human Rights Organization). Moreover, The Dhaka Metropolitan Police reported that the last five months have seen an immense surge in the number of rape cases, going from 12 in April to a shocking 58 in August.
Rape is a fundamental societal issue of extreme urgency; that much is known. Who may better address such a grave societal issue, if not society itself? Every proud Bangladeshi man and woman with a functioning moral compass must already know that we ourselves bear the responsibility of addressing this issue. Determination is at the heart of change, and so we must be determined to alleviate our country from such treacherous crimes. This involves the public raising awareness and continue protesting against rape. It requires police taskforces to be devised in all districts and begs courts to carefully assess such cases and carry out just penalties. It also most certainly encourages non-government organizations (NGOs) to continue investing in sexual abuse prevention programs and raise awareness about rape culture in our society.
This isn't about female empowerment, this is about the basic human rights of innocent civilians. We all want a rape free Bangladesh. The number of cases continue to rise as we sit, watch, and do nothing. So, this begs the question: how many more?
The author is a third-year undergraduate student at the University of Toronto, majoring in Political Science and International Relations
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