The recent rise in rapes of girls across the country has raised concerns as at least 56 under-12 girls were victims of the sexual crime in the first four months of 2026.

• 148 victims aged 7–12 years raped in 2025
• 63 girls of same age group raped in 2024
• 58 girls of same group raped in 2023

                                                   Source: ASK data

A total of 180 rape incidents were reported in the first four months of this year, where 81 victims were under the age of 18, according to human rights organisation Ain o Salish Kendra data.

Of them, 16 victims were under 6, 40 between seven and 12 and 25 between 13 and 18.

According to the ASK, 18 incidents of rape were reported between May 1 and 11, and 11 of them were minors.

In most cases, girls were raped by neighbours, close relatives, and even by teachers in some cases.

According to rights activists and experts, the actual number of such incidents is higher as many incidents go unreported.

Fauzia Moslem, president of women rights organisation Bangladesh Mahila Parishad, on Tuesday told new Age that she had noticed a rise in rapes in the past few months, adding that the number of child victims had been significant.

She blamed the culture of impunity, negligence of law enforcers, and an erosion of social values ​​as the main reasons behind crimes against children, including rape.

‘Measures to protect women and children from violence should be outlined in the government’s work plan, disseminating the message that perpetrators involved in such crimes would not be spared,’ Fauzia said.

She urged the government to sit down with representatives of the civil society, women and child rights groups, and other relevant organisations and come up with a plan to eliminate violence against children and ensure a safe environment for all children.

According to ASK data, 71 girls aged below 6 were raped in 2025, while the number was 24 in 24, and 36 in 2023.

The data also show that 148 girls aged between 7 and 12 were raped in 2025, the number was 63 in 2024 and 58 in 2023.

Human rights lawyer and women rights body Naripokkho member Kamrun Nahar said that the rise in the crime and its pattern indicated that children were unprotected and their safety was in jeopardy across the country.

Expressing shock over the recent incident in Netrakona where an 11-year-old girl became pregnant after being raped, she said, ‘An example has to be set in society that none could get away after committing such crimes, with perpetrators being punished swiftly to bring an end to such crimes.’

Kamrun Nahar also stressed that it was important to ensure that victims could receive support they needed after they had been subjected to such violence.

Additionally, she added, the government and others concerned must ensure that all children throughout the country are safe and protected.

Public outrage became widespread after the 11-year-old girl in Madan upazila under Netrakona was found pregnant for seven months as she was reportedly raped by a teacher at a madrassah where she studied.

The family came to know the matter after the girl began to feel unwell and experience physical changes.

The victim’s mother took her to a local diagnostic centre for a check-up that confirmed her daughter was seven-month pregnant.

Her mother then filed a case with the Madan police station on April 23, since when accused Sagor had gone into hiding. He was later arrested on May 6.

Sagor was then remanded for three days by a court in Netrakona and later sent to jail on completion of the remand on May 10.

On May 10, the court also ordered a DNA test after the police submitted an application seeking the test.

According to Dhaka University’s Institute of Social Welfare and Research associate professor and criminologist Md Tawhidul Haque, many crimes are on the rise across the country, including violence against children.

‘It is important to build a social movement against violence against children. Along with this, emphasis should be placed on increasing the efficiency of law enforcement agencies and ensuring speedy justice in such cases,’ he said.

Besides, Tawhidul added, families, educational institutions, and the state all must work together to ensure the safety of children across the country.

Condemning recent incidents involving the physical and sexual abuse of children, women and children affairs ministry secretary Yasmeen Parveen on Tuesday told New Age that the ministry

was actively planning to establish a dedicated children affairs department to more effectively address child-related issues and intensify the fight against violence.

Reaffirming the government’s zero-tolerance policy regarding violence against women and children, she said, ‘While the Department of Women Affairs is already operational, a specialised department for children is now a primary focus.’

To support this institutional shift, the ministry has planned to organise extensive awareness programmes starting at the district level and gradually expanding to the upazilas nationwide, she disclosed.

‘Furthermore, the ministry is currently refining relevant legal frameworks. These efforts include strengthening the Child Marriage Prevention Act and outlining stricter measures to prevent sexual harassment at both educational institutions and workplaces,’ she added.

According to ASK data, 34 attempts at rape were reported between January and April. Of them, eight victims were aged below six, and 16 were aged between 7 and 12.