“Child rape is on the rise at an alarming rate, especially in recent years,” said Azmi Akhter, programme officer at Bangladesh Shishu Adhikar Forum (BSAF), a child rights watchdog.
Children are also victims of child marriage, with 34 underage girls married off by their parents in the first eight months of the year, shows BSAF data.
Amid such circumstances, Bangladesh is observing National Child Rights Week from September 29 to October 5, the theme of which is “Children will always remain safe in home and outside” this year.
According to BSAF statistics, in the period of January-August this year, 39 children have been victims of gang rape, 13 children have been killed after rape, and nine have been victims of child pornography.
The data have been collected from different reports.
BSAF data also shows that there were reports of 521 children raped in Bangladesh in 2015, which is around 350% higher than 2014 – 199 reports of child rape. Reports in the first four months of 2016 show a 14% rise in child rape compared to the same time period in 2015.
Children with disabilities are also vulnerable to sexual violence; 28 autistic children have been raped around the country between January and August.
Speaking to the Dhaka Tribune, BSAF Director AS Mahmood said: “One of the main reasons behind child rights violation is that the culprits get away without getting punished for their crimes.”
He said bringing the rapists under punishment and raising awareness about children’s rights would help protect them from untimely marriage as well as sexual violence.
When contacted, State Minister for Women and Children Affairs Meher Afroz Chumki said people who tortured children were national enemies. “We need to take action against them together.”
She also said punishment for the violators would be ensured via legal steps.
Friday, July 03, 2026
