Uproar over sexual assault in Bangladesh after video spreads online
Warning: This article contains details some readers may find distressing
A video of a woman being sexually assaulted has caused nationwide uproar in Bangladesh, after the clip was shared widely online.The woman, who has been interviewed by local media, says she was raped at her father's house last Thursday. The clip shows several people at the scene.Police have arrested five people, including the alleged rapist, and authorities have said they will investigate the case "with utmost seriousness".Protests broke out across the country over the weekend after the clip was circulated, and several human rights groups have demanded severe punishment for those involved.
The survivor was visiting her father's home in central Bangladesh's Cumilla district when a neighbour broke in and assaulted her, according to police.The woman, who is from a Hindu minority community, gave interviews to several local outlets saying the accused "entered the house with bad intentions and tortured her".Police have named the main suspect as 36-year-old Fazor Ali, adding that he was hospitalised after being beaten up by members of the public on the night of the incident. The man sustained injuries on his arms and legs which prevented him from showing up in court on Sunday, police said.The other four people were arrested for filming and circulating videos of the assault, police said.Local human rights groups are calling for a swift investigation, with some saying the incident is the latest in a series of cases of violence against women where justice was delayed or perpetrators were granted impunity."If a woman is not safe in her own home and identity, it represents a serious failure of the state and a breakdown in security," Ain O Salish Kendra, a national legal aid and human rights organisation, said in a statement on Sunday.The organisation further urged that "the state must send a clear and firm message that such barbarity has no place in this country".Another Dhaka-based group, Manusher Jonno Foundation, condemned those who filmed and distributed the clip, saying they inflicted a "second assault" on the victim.Bangladeshi authorities have said the case will be dealt with swiftly."Like ordinary citizens, we are also deeply shocked by the rape. Our home ministry has taken immediate action," the country's law adviser Asif Nazrul said in a media briefing on Sunday. "The prime accused, along with those involved in spreading photos of the incident, a highly irresponsible and criminal act, have all been arrested."Earlier this year, an eight-year-old child who was raped in Bangladesh died of her injuries, setting off fierce protests around the country.Many protesters at the time demanded that the government expedite justice for rape victims and reform laws related to women and children's safety.Protesters also called for greater clarity around the legal definitions of what constitutes rape in Bangladesh, which they said were currently ambiguous.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Reuters
40 minutes ago
- Reuters
South Korea's former president Yoon defies summons in martial law probe
SEOUL, July 1 (Reuters) - Former South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol skipped questioning on Tuesday by a special prosecutor investigating his December declaration of martial law, citing the need to prepare for a later hearing despite the risk of arrest. Yoon was ousted in April by the Constitutional Court, which upheld his impeachment by parliament for a martial law bid that shocked a country that had prided itself on becoming a thriving democracy after overcoming military dictatorship in the 1980s. Through his lawyers, Yoon, a powerful former top prosecutor elected president in 2022, has accused the special counsel of going on a politically-motivated "witch hunt," describing as illegal some of the tactics used against him. On Monday, Yoon's lawyers said July 5 was the earliest he would be able to appear, citing a trial court hearing on insurrection charges set for Thursday that he must attend and his rights as a defendant to rest and prepare. A spokesperson for the special prosecutor's team did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Media reported the team has said it will issue another summons for this week. Yoon has been locked in an unprecedented wrangle with authorities over the investigation by the special counsel appointed in June, which ratcheted up prior efforts by state prosecutors and police to investigate his martial law attempt. During Yoon's first appearance on Saturday, questioning was interrupted for several hours after he objected to procedures he said violated his rights. The special prosecutor has said the team would consider action under the criminal code, which analysts and media say probably means an arrest, though the team did not confirm that. Analysts and some members of Yoon's conservative People Power Party have questioned his intentions, since he was a lead prosecutor in the 2017 graft investigation and prosecution of former President Park Geun-hye. Two other special prosecutors were appointed in June to sift accusations of wrongdoing by Yoon's wife and obstruction by the presidential office of an investigation into the death of a marine in 2023.
The Guardian
3 hours ago
- The Guardian
Melbourne childcare worker charged with more than 70 offences against children in his care
A Melbourne childcare worker has been charged with more than 70 offences after allegedly sexually abusing eight children in his care. Victoria police issued a statement on Tuesday confirming they charged 26-year-old Point Cook man Joshua Brown last month with offences including sexual penetration of a child under 12, attempted sexual penetration of a child under 12, sexual assault of a child under 16 and producing child material for use through a carriage service. They said the charges relate to eight alleged victims, who were placed at a childcare centre in Melbourne's western suburbs. Brown was remanded and has remained in custody since his arrest on 12 May. He will appear at Melbourne magistrate court on 15 September. Police said a significant investigation has taken place since Brown's arrest, led by detectives from the sexual crimes squad. They said it has been established that Brown worked at 20 childcare centres between January 2017 and May 2025. They allege there is evidence of offending at a second childcare centre in the northern suburbs, which is being 'investigated as a priority'. The Victorian government has set up a website listing the centres and the known employment dates of Brown. Families who had children placed at relevant centres during the time of Brown's employment are in the process of being contacted to ensure appropriate support and welfare services are provided. This work involves the department of health, the department of families, fairness and housing, the department of education, the Commission for Children and Young Persons, Family Safety Victoria, Gatehouse and the Royal Children's Hospital. Police said at this stage it is believed all alleged offending occurred within Victoria. They said there is no evidence at this time to suggest any other staff member at any centre is involved. A press conference will be held by police and the Victorian government on Tuesday morning. Acting police commander, Janet Stevenson, said it was 'an incredibly distressing and confronting investigation for all involved'. 'I know many members of the community will hear this news and feel enormously concerned. The most important thing for our investigators was that we needed to identify the [alleged] victims involved,' Stevenson said in a statement. 'These are some of the most vulnerable members of our community and the conversations police have had to have with their families were no doubt life changing in the worst possible way.' Cmdr Stevenson urged anyone with information to contact Crime Stoppers. More details soon … In Australia, children, young adults, parents and teachers can contact the Kids Helpline on 1800 55 1800, or Bravehearts on 1800 272 831, and adults can contact Blue Knot Foundation on 1300 657 380. In the UK, the NSPCC offers support to children on 0800 1111, and adults concerned about a child on 0808 800 5000. The National Association for People Abused in Childhood (Napac) offers support for adults on 0808 801 0331. In the US, call or text the Childhelp abuse hotline on 800-422-4453. Other sources of help can be found at Child Helplines International
Daily Mail
4 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Sexual assault lawsuit against BYU quarterback Jake Retzlaff is over
The sexual assault case against BYU star Jake Retzlaff has reportedly been dismissed - but the quarterback is still expected to leave the school. Retzlaff denied the allegations that he 'bit, raped or strangled' a woman in November 2023. The woman, named only Jane Doe A.G., was seeking damages of more than $300,000. On Monday, however, the two sides filed a joint motion for dismissal, according to the Salt Lake Tribune. The order was reportedly signed by a judge but precise details remain unclear. The settlement paves the way for the quarterback to transfer out of BYU after he admitted violating the school's ban on premarital sex. The 22-year-old is BYU's first ever Jewish quarterback but, according to the Salt Lake Tribune, he is set to decide on a new school in the coming days. BYU is operated by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and both students and employees are expected follow a strict Honor Code. Jane Doe's lawsuit stated she did not immediately disclose Retzlaff's name to Provo police, but later informed them that it was the BYU quarterback, only to be told victims 'never get justice' Among the rules is a ban on sex before marriage, with students ordered to 'live a chaste and virtuous life'. Though Retzlaff denied the allegations of sexual assault, he admitted that he had 'consensual' sex with the woman. That left Retzlaff expecting a seven-game suspension for violating the school's Honor Code, which would rule him out of more than half of the 2025 season. The lawsuit, filed in Utah in late May and obtained by Daily Mail, also claimed Provo cops encouraged the woman to remain silent, allegedly telling her: 'Sexual assault victims never get justice.' But representatives for the quarterback hit back last week, branding the allegations 'ridiculous and bizarre' as well as 'false and untrue'. 'Mr. Retzlaff specifically and categorically denies each and every and all allegations that he bit, raped or strangled [the woman], which are ridiculous and bizarre allegations, all of which are false and untrue.' Provo, Utah police also rejected her accusations in a department statement: 'From everything we have reviewed, this is not true.'
