Investigations in rape and murder cases stall when cases lack public attention

In a case in Pallabi, Dhaka, a court recently sentenced two accused to death within just four working days after completing the trial of a child rape and murder case. However, this swift justice is not the norm in Bangladesh.

In contrast, many rape and murder cases remain stuck at the investigation stage for months and even years. Despite a legal requirement to complete investigations within 15 working days, this deadline is rarely met in most cases.

Crime experts say that investigations tend to move faster when rape incidents receive extensive media coverage or when human rights organisations become vocal. In contrast, cases that remain outside public attention often fail to progress.

Police, however, argue that delays occur due to lengthy DNA testing, medical reports, and forensic procedures, which often cannot be completed within the stipulated time.

On 5 May last year, a woman named Chingma Khiyang went to plant rice in a jhum field in Mongkhyong Para under Thanchi upazila of Bandarban. When she did not return home in the evening, her family searched for her and later found her body. Locals alleged that three workers involved in road construction raped and murdered her.

The next day, her husband, Suman Khiyang, filed a case at Thanchi police station under the Women and Children Repression Prevention Act, accusing the suspects of rape and murder. Locals held protests demanding justice, while 475 prominent citizens issued statements calling for a judicial inquiry and speedy trial.

When contacted last Saturday, Bandarban Superintendent of Police Md. Wahabul Islam Khondaker said the suspects have not yet been identified and the investigation has not made significant progress.

According to Police Headquarters data, 5,448 cases were filed under the Women and Children Repression Prevention Act across the country between March and May, including 413 in Dhaka Metropolitan areas.

Court sources in Dhaka say that out of these 413 cases, police submitted charge sheets in only 65 cases within three months, while 10 cases were closed with final reports after finding no involvement of suspects. The remaining cases are still under investigation.

Further data shows that 178 rape cases were filed 50 police stations under Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) during this period. Of these, 115 involved women and 63 involved children.

On 22 May, a man in his 60's allegedly lured an eight-year-old child with chocolate and took her to a house in Kalabagan, Dhaka, where he raped her. Police arrested the suspect. Kalabagan police station OC Fazle Ashik said on Saturday night that the investigation is still ongoing.

When asked about delays in rape investigations, DMP Additional Commissioner (Crime and Operations) SN Md. Nazrul Islam said that police try to complete investigations within the legal timeframe, but when that is not possible, they seek extensions from the court.

He added that DNA tests and other forensic examinations often take significant time, but charge sheets are submitted as soon as investigations are completed.

On 22 April, a sixth-grade schoolgirl was abducted while returning home in Muradnagar, Cumilla, and raped by two men in a secluded area near Kutumbari in Homna upazila. She was later found in a critically injured condition and left near her school. The victim’s mother filed a case under the Women and Children Repression Prevention Act. The family has expressed anger over the failure to arrest the suspects.

Muradnagar police station OC Mohammad Anwar Hossain said the suspects are on the run and medical reports are still pending.

Police officers involved in investigating rape cases told Prothom Alo that one of the main reasons investigations often cannot be completed is the delay in receiving medical reports.

In many cases, it can take up to a year to obtain these reports. Medical reports are a crucial piece of forensic evidence in rape cases, as they help verify signs of sexual assault, physical injuries, DNA samples, and other scientific findings related to the victim.

In a case filed at Kamrangirchar police station in Dhaka on 8 April last year, the father of a teenage girl accused a young man of abduction and repeated rape. According to the complaint, due to a dispute over ownership of a seven-storey building, the accused allegedly lured the girl and took her outside Dhaka to Chattogram and Pirojpur, where he raped her multiple times.

Six days later, police rescued the victim and arrested the main suspect. The investigating officer later obtained court permission to conduct a DNA test comparing samples from the victim and the accused. However, the investigation could not be completed due to delays in receiving both the medical report and the DNA test results.

When contacted, Professor Mostak Rahim Swapon, Vice President of the Medico-Legal Society, an organisation of forensic experts, told Prothom Alo that investigating officers must actively follow up with forensic specialists to obtain reports.

If reports are not delivered on time, authorities should be contacted at higher levels to ensure their collection so that investigations can be completed quickly, he added.

Under the Women and Children Repression Prevention Act, 2000 (amended 2026), investigations must be completed within 15 working days. The law states that the investigation must be concluded within 15 working days from the date of arrest.

Following the Magura child rape and murder incident, the interim government introduced significant amendments to the rape provisions in 2025.

The law removed the mandatory requirement for DNA testing of both victims and accused, stating that if the court believes a medical certificate is sufficient to proceed, DNA testing may not be required. The investigation and trial timelines for rape cases have also been reduced—investigations must be completed within 15 days and trials within 90 days, although courts may extend these deadlines if necessary.

Former District and Sessions Judge Faujul Azim, who researches rape and murder cases, said that once an accused is arrested, rape investigations must be completed within 15 days. If the accused is not arrested, the investigation should be completed within 30 days.

He also stressed that investigating officers and medical examiners require specialised training, and investigators should not be assigned unrelated duties. Adequate financial resources must be provided for investigations. In addition, more specialised doctors and forensic experts are needed to prepare medical, forensic, and DNA reports quickly.

He further emphasised that investigators must actively ensure timely collection of reports. According to him, if all procedures are completed efficiently, investigation reports in rape and murder cases can be submitted within the legally prescribed timeframe.