There is no denying that Bangladesh has become a much more progressive society in the past few decades than it was at any other point in its history, especially when it comes other the economic autonomy of women. However, it is clear that as a society we are not quite fully there yet, with our nation witnessing a sharp rise in violence against women and children alongside the general downturn in law and order since the fall of the previous government last year.
For a country that envisions itself as a progressive middle income economy within the next few years, the surge in violence against women and children remains a glaring contradiction. To that end, we hope the interim government’s Tk309.39 crore initiative which is being billed as “Strengthening integrated services to prevent and remedy violence against women and children” is a commendable step towards stemming the tide of harassment and violence against women and children in our nation.
According to reports, the initiative will be implemented by the Ministry of Women and Children Affairs from July 2025 to December 2029 with government funding as it aims to reinforce collaboration between various government agencies, private sector entities, and civil society to curb violence against women and children.
While Quick Response Teams, One-Stop Crisis Centres, expanded DNA testing facilities, and awareness campaigns signal a shift towards institutional accountability, increasing infrastructure capacity alone is not sufficient. Bangladesh needs to completely dismantle the culture of impunity that emboldens abusers, whether behind closed doors or in positions of power. This requires police reform that treats survivors not as burdens but as citizens demanding justice, and that in turn calls for curriculum reform, community dialogues, and sustained engagement with the youth.
Nothing short of a cultural sea change will do if Bangladesh wishes to see its womenfolk take charge and lead the country forward.
Thursday, June 04, 2026
