Manusher Jonno Foundation (MJF) has condemned the repeated incidents of rape, abuse and killing of women and children across the country.
The human rights organisation also expressed deep shock and outrage over the reported rape and killing of a seven-year-old child in Jamalpur’s Madarganj.
According to police, the child was sexually assaulted and killed, and her body was later recovered from beneath the floor of a house.
MJF also condemned this violence and expressed sympathy to the child’s family.
The Jamalpur case cannot be treated as an isolated crime, MJF said.
Recent reports of rape, sexual abuse, harassment and killing of women and children across Bangladesh point to an alarming pattern. The same questions remain: are children and women safe in homes, schools, educational institutions and communities, and are those responsible brought to justice without delay?
Recent data reinforce the seriousness of the situation. In August 2026, the Human Rights Support Society recorded violence against at least 249 women and children, including 79 rape victims, 46 of whom were children.
Ain o Salish Kendra also reported that at least 400 women were raped between January and July 2026, with 37 killed after rape. These figures represent reported cases and may not reflect the full extent of the violence.
Behind every statistic is a person whose safety, dignity, and rights have been violated. When such incidents disappear from public attention within days, there is a danger that extraordinary brutality begins to appear ordinary.
Violence against women and children must never be normalised.
Shaheen Anam, Executive Director of Manusher Jonno Foundation, said the repeated rape, abuse and killing of women and children is deeply alarming and unacceptable.
She said a child should be safe at home, on the way to school, in an educational institution and within the community.
"We cannot allow these incidents to become headlines for a few days and then disappear from public attention. Every case must be investigated promptly, those responsible must be held accountable, and stronger protection and prevention systems must be put in place. Parents and guardians must also remain attentive to children’s safety, listen to them carefully, and respond quickly to signs of fear, distress or risk. Protecting children requires shared responsibility from families, institutions, communities and the State,” Anam added.
MJF has consistently maintained that protection cannot depend only on action after a crime has occurred.
It has called for violence against women and children to be treated with the urgency of a national emergency and for stronger preventive measures, including functioning Sexual Harassment Committees in madrasas and other educational institutions.
MJF calls on the relevant authorities to ensure prompt and impartial investigation, fair and timely prosecution, and accountability in every case. Survivors and affected families must have access to medical care, psychosocial support, legal assistance, and protection, with their privacy and dignity respected.
Institutions responsible for children must maintain effective safeguarding and safe complaint mechanisms.
The Jamalpur case must not become another tragedy that fades from public attention. MJF calls for sustained action by the State, institutions and society to protect the rights, dignity and safety of women and children.
