Bangladesh Mahila Parishad on Monday urged the Prof Yunus-led Interim Government to take stronger action to curb the increasing crime against women and to establish and safeguard women’s rights.

In recent times, cases of atrocities against women have increased across Bangladesh. A total of 442 women and girls were subjected to various forms of violence across the country in March alone. Rabeya Begum Shanti, secretary of Bangladesh Mahila Parishad, revealed the information at a press conference held on Monday.    She said 125 girls and 38 women were raped during this period, and among them, 36 victims, including 18 girls, were gang-raped. Two girls were raped and subsequently murdered, while two others died by suicide following sexual assault, according to Mahila Parishad. Besides, 55 girls and 15 women survived attempted rape.  Rabeya said the increasing hostility towards women is severely obstructing their freedom of movement.

She said that women are being publicly humiliated over their attire, appearance, and mobility. She added that they are subjected to physical and verbal harassment in public spaces, while social media is being used to spread hate and issue threats against them.   She alleged that such unchecked misconduct is encouraging perpetrators, further threatening women’s progress. She said incidents of mugging, abduction, and murder have surged in the country, leaving women and the general public feeling increasingly unsafe.

Highlighting another issue, Rabeya said that while there was a 60% quota for women in government primary school teacher recruitment, the provision was recently scrapped. She said that this move is inconsistent with efforts to empower women and ensure their advancement. She urged authorities to retain the quota in the 2025 recruitment rules.