Sunday | 27 April 2025 | Reg No- 06
Bangla
   
Bangla | Sunday | 27 April 2025 | Epaper
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Breaking the silence and fighting for justice

Published : Saturday, 22 March, 2025 at 12:00 AM  Count : 2326
Adrija Das
Rape is not a new issue- it is only now that society has begun to acknowledge and openly discuss it. With our voices growing louderdemanding justice, the horrifying reality of sexual violence is finally making headlines. One by one, alarming cases are surfacing, revealing the extent of this crisis. From toddlers to elderly women and even men, no one is truly safe.

Perpetrators continue to exploit the gaps in our country's current legal system, while justice remains painfully out of reach for many victims.

The question remains: where can we truly feel safe in our own country?
On the 3rd of March morning, when a 3-year-old child had gone to buy chocolates from a nearby shop but did not return within the proper time. Her mother went to retrieve her and later found the child being undressed and assaulted by the teenage shop owner Redwan Arif. The child had to be hospitalized. The responsibility of teaching the teenager proper behavior had been on his parents. We continue to demand justice for the victims by shouting for beheadings, burnings, or other severe measures of the arrestees. However, without addressing the root cause, punishment alone will not solve the problem. If we do not teach our sons to respect women and ensure their safety, the cycle of violence will continue. "Raise your sons to treat women with dignity and civility, so that your daughters no longer have to suffer in silence."

The Magura case, where an 8-year-old girl was raped by her sister's father-in-law, Hitu Sheikh when she visited their home serves as yet another reminder of the harrowing reality of women and children. The sister's husband had allegedly assisted the crime by opening the door for the rapist. Instead of seeking justice, the family, upon discovering the incident, attempted to kill the child to cover it up. The victim's sister was also not spared from the harassment. The young victim, too fragile to withstand the brutality inflicted upon her, suffered severe neck injuries and ultimately lost her life after enduring three major heart attacks. We often say that family is meant to be our protector, our safe shelter. But when that very family refuses to believe our truth and turns a blind eye instead of providing safety, where is a woman supposed to go?
Rape is an inexcusable crime, regardless of gender or age. "If it is not your body, you have no right to touch it."

Lastly, on International Women's Day, a day honoring woman and their rights, several rape cases made headlines. Among them was the horrific case of an eight-year-old third grader who was kidnapped and raped in a forest in Dargarchala. The locals rescued her only after hearing her screams of despair. The police later arrested 27-year-old Arman Mia and discovered that he had recorded the assault. Disturbingly, his phone contained three more obscene videos, which had been shared on a messaging app.
There are group chats in apps like Telegram, full of rapists, glorifying their conquest by sharing videos of their rape victims. However, due to Telegram's strict end-to-end encryption and lack of active scanning for harmful content, these groups continue to exist and encourage young minds to believe that this is normal. The existence of these groups is not only a reflection of the immunity perpetrators feel but also a sign of the failure of digital platforms and law enforcement to restrain such atrocities.

Social media, once a platform for connection and growth, has increasingly become a breeding ground for criminal activity, where perpetrators shamelessly boast about their crimes without fear of repercussions. This normalization of sexual violence through online spaces desensitizes people and instills a culture where rape is treated as a joke or a conquest rather than the heinous crime that it is. As a result, survivors are left to suffer in silence, while offenders continue to roam freely, unpunished. The psychological impact on victims is lifelong, with many enduring trauma, depression, and even suicidal thoughts. Yet, despite countless protests and demands for stricter laws, justice remains slow and inadequate.

In Bangladesh, rape is punishable under the Women and Children Repression Prevention Act of 2000, which allows for life imprisonment or even the death penalty in extreme cases. However, despite these laws, low conviction rates and lengthy judicial processes often fail to deliver timely justice. Survivors face immense challenges in seeking support due to social stigma, victim-blaming, and the fear of retaliation.

In response to the alarming rise in rape cases, hundreds of thousands of students have taken to the streets in protest. Their demand is simple yet urgent- swift trials and a justice system that truly protects victims. By amplifying voices and ensuring judicial security, we can begin to break the cycle of silence, one case at a time.


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