Constitution Watchdog today released a comprehensive situation report documenting a severe escalation in sexual violence against women and children across Bangladesh. The publication, titled “Situation Report on Sexual Violence Against Women and Children,” reveals a functionally negligible conviction rate of just 3 percent, contrasted against a 27 percent increase in formal police reports.

The report provides a structural analysis of causative factors by examining three high-profile incidents from May 2026. These documented cases include the rape and murder of eight-year-old Ramisa Akter in Pallabi, Dhaka; the sustained abuse of an eleven-year-old madrasa student in Netrokona; and the murder of seven-year-old Ireen Akter in Faridpur, where criminal investigations were actively hindered by coordinated political disinformation. Constitution Watchdog argues that these incidents represent constitutional failures rather than merely criminal failures.

According to the report’s synthesis of official law enforcement data, 7,068 rape cases were filed nationwide in 2025, marking an increase from 5,566 cases in 2024. Despite existing laws requiring tribunals to dispose of cases within 180 working days, over 35,000 cases have been pending for more than five years. Research cited in the report indicates the average case duration is approximately 3.7 years.

“When the state cannot protect an eight-year-old girl in the capital city of Dhaka or an eleven-year-old child in the care of a religious institution in Netrokona, its constitutional obligations to its most vulnerable citizens must be urgently scrutinised.”

Urgent Policy Recommendations

To combat this structural crisis, Constitution Watchdog outlines eight urgent policy recommendations, including:

  • 1 Legislating an evidentiary 48-hour arrest standard following a formal complaint supported by prima facie evidence.
  • 2 Strictly enforcing the statutory time limit for case disposal in existing tribunals, permitting adjournments only with formal judicial justification.
  • 3 Introducing mandatory, binding child protection regulations across all schools, colleges, and madrasas.
  • 4 Enacting a standalone, comprehensive Victim and Witness Protection Act that guarantees safe housing and free legal aid.

Constitution Watchdog is calling upon the Government of Bangladesh, the Supreme Court, and all relevant law enforcement agencies to treat these recommendations as urgent constitutional obligations.