Khairul Alam; Dbarta24 — A severe lack of coordination, limited rural accessibility, and poor long-term rehabilitation continue to weaken Bangladesh’s protection services for vulnerable women and children, rights activists and experts revealed during a national stakeholder dialogue in Dhaka on Wednesday.
Speaking at the event, organized by the prominent human rights organization Ain o Salish Kendra (ASK) at the CIRDAP Auditorium, ASK Executive Director Tahmina Rahman presented alarming recent statistics highlighting the ongoing wave of gender-based violence.
Over a seven-month period, the organization recorded 400 cases of rape, 37 rape-related murders, and 152 attempted rapes across the country.
The data also underscored a disturbing trend of violence against minors, with 606 incidents recorded during the same period. Among these child violence cases, 241 involved rape, and 213 resulted in murder. Additionally, 191 cases of sexual harassment and stalking against women and teenage girls were documented.
Beyond domestic abuse and sexual violence, human trafficking remains a critical challenge. The discussion highlighted that 1,126 new human trafficking cases were filed in 2025 alone, while 5,284 cases remained either under investigation or pending trial as of May 2026.
Activists emphasized that while legal aid, medical care, psychosocial support, and shelter services exist within both government and non-government sectors, their fragmented structure creates immense hurdles for victims—especially those living in remote rural areas.
“Although legal aid, medical, psychosocial, shelter, and rehabilitation services are operational for women, children, and vulnerable groups, they are often run in isolation,” said Tahmina Rahman, Executive Director of ASK. “As a result, victims are forced to move from one institution to another, spending significant time and money just to access essential services.”
According to the keynote presentation citing National Legal Aid Services Organization data, over 1.84 million people benefited from legal aid and awareness initiatives between 2009 and August 2026.
This included more than 31,000 individuals served through the Supreme Court Legal Aid Office and over 1.33 million through district legal aid offices nationwide.
Stakeholders at the dialogue called for urgent structural reforms, integrated referral networks, and decentralized service delivery to ensure justice and protection reach marginalized populations across all regions.