Dhaka, Mar 09, 2025, IANS

Dhaka, March 9 (IANS) Outraged by the brutal assault of an eight-year-old girl in Magura, citizens across Bangladesh took to the streets on Sunday, demanding justice and stricter measures to curb violence against women and children, according to local media reports. The horrifying incident has sparked widespread protests in various parts of the country, with students and civil society groups raising their voices in anger. According to reports, the tragic incident occurred on Wednesday when the young victim was raped at her sister's house in Magura. The child, who sustained critical injuries, was initially treated in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit at Dhaka Medical College Hospital before being transferred to CMH Hospital for advanced care, reports the leading Bangladeshi newspaper, The Daily Star. So far, Magura police have arrested four individuals in connection with the assault. In response to the incident, teachers and students of Dhaka University staged a protest rally on campus earlier on Sunday. The demonstration, organised by the University Teachers' Network, began at 11:00 am at the foot of the iconic Aparajeyo Bangla sculpture, with the rally commencing at 11:45 am. In Rajshahi, hundreds of students from Rajshahi University boycotted their classes and examinations, blocking the Dhaka-Rajshahi highway for nearly half an hour. The students demanded swift action and harsher punishments for perpetrators of sexual violence to ensure women's safety. Protests also erupted at the Islamic University (IU) in Kushtia, where students blocked the Khulna-Kushtia highway near the university's main gate. The demonstration followed a protest march that started from the university's Botatola area at noon, reports the country's leading daily, The Dhaka Tribune. The students called for the death penalty for those accused of such heinous crimes. Meanwhile, Save the Children, which has been actively working for child protection in Bangladesh for over five decades, condemned the Magura incident. The organisation voiced deep concern over the rising violence against women and children in the country. In a statement, Save the Children highlighted the alarming statistics, revealing that 2,362 women and girls have faced violence this year alone, including 1,036 children. The organisation called on the government to ensure swift justice for the Magura survivor and to strengthen protective systems to prevent such incidents. Shumon Sengupta, Country Director of Save the Children in Bangladesh, stressed the need for systemic reforms. "We demand justice for the victim of this horrific crime. Authorities must ensure that the perpetrators are swiftly brought to trial. With nearly 40 per cent of violence victims being children, urgent reforms are necessary to safeguard their well-being, particularly that of young girls," Sengupta said. She emphasised that prevention begins with changing societal mindsets to prioritise child protection. Sengupta further added that establishing strong protective mechanisms at the family and community levels is crucial to preventing violence, abuse, and exploitation. In a significant legal development, a Bangladesh court has directed the immediate removal of all images of the Magura survivor from social media, according to local media. The High Court bench, comprising Justice Farah Mahbub and Justice Debasish Roy Chowdhury, issued the directive on Sunday after taking note of a media report on the matter. The court instructed the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) to ensure the prompt removal of the content. Lt General (Retd) Md Jahangir Alam Chowdhury, Home Affairs Advisor to the Muhammad Yunus-led interim government, assured that the government is committed to ensuring the accused faces justice. He stressed that those responsible for such heinous crimes will not be allowed to evade accountability. The protests reflect growing frustration among citizens who are demanding immediate reforms to improve safety for women and children, along with stricter enforcement of laws to prevent such crimes in the future.