At least 442 women and girls were subjected to various forms of violence across Bangladesh in March, Bangladesh Mahila Parishad revealed on Monday.
Speaking at a press conference at the Jatiya Press Club, Mahila Parishad Secretary Rabeya Begum Shanti said the figures were compiled from reports published in national dailies.
Among the victims, 125 girls and 38 women were raped, including 36 cases of gang-rape. Two girls were raped and murdered, while two others died by suicide following sexual assault.
The organization also reported 70 cases of attempted rape involving 55 girls and 15 women.
Rabeya Begum warned that growing hostility towards women is increasingly restricting their freedom of movement. "Women are publicly humiliated over their attire, appearance, and mobility. They face harassment in public spaces and online platforms," she said, adding that unchecked misconduct is emboldening perpetrators and undermining women's progress.
She also expressed concern over recent security breaches, citing the escape of a death-row convict in the Abrar Fahad case and the release of a life-term convict in a child rape case in Dinajpur.
Highlighting another setback, she criticized the scrapping of the 60% women’s quota in government primary school teacher recruitment, calling it "a step backward" for women's empowerment. She urged authorities to reinstate the quota in the 2025 recruitment rules.
