Violence against women: 68pc of accused not arrested

On 9 August, six individuals were accused in the gang rape of two young women in South Keraniganj, near the capital. One of the accused has been arrested. He was identified by local residents and brought to the police station after being detained. The remaining suspects are listed as 'absconding' in the police records.

On 7 September, an elderly woman, 65, was gang-raped in the capital's Suhrawardy Udyan. She had come to Dhaka with a group of women to seek relief funds. At the time of the incident, she was resting in the park.

The accused in this case remain unidentified, and the case has been transferred from Shahbagh Police Station to the Women Support and Investigation Division (commonly known as the Victim Support Centre). As of now, no suspects have been identified, and no arrests have been made.

A case was filed in both incidents under charges of gang rape, in accordance with Section 9(3) of the Women and Children’s Violence Prevention Act of 2000.

An analysis of case data from various police stations across the country shows that most cases of abuse involve multiple accused individuals, with the exception of those involving single perpetrators.

In cases of domestic violence, such as dowry-related abuse, several family members may be accused alongside the husband. However, after the cases are filed, many of the accused remain beyond the reach of law enforcement.

According to data from the Police Headquarters, a total of 12,769 cases were filed in police stations and courts across the country from January to September under the Prevention of Violence against Women and Children Act, 2000, covering charges such as dowry abuse, rape, attempted rape, throwing flammable substances, and kidnapping.

Of these, 10,686 cases were filed specifically for violence against women, while the remainder concerned child abuse. In total, 24,339 people were accused of violence against women. However, only 7,835 of these accused individuals were arrested, meaning that over 68 percent—more than two-thirds—remain at large.

In an effort to improve the situation, this year’s observance of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women and World Human Rights Day will be held from November 25 to December 10. The theme for this year is "Protect Women and Girls, Build a World Free from Violence."

The police were kept busy with arbitrarily suppressing the anti-discrimination student movement from mid-July. During this time, women were often turned away from police stations when they attempted to file complaints, except in cases involving serious incidents.

Women were advised to file cases later, particularly in instances of domestic violence. However, the number of cases and arrests in July remained consistent with other months of the year.

After the fall of the Awami League government on August 5, police stations were closed for an extended period due to public outrage and attacks. An interim government was formed on August 8.

In the changed political context, the number of cases filed and arrests made in violence against women cases began to decrease in August. In September, the number of such cases returned to near previous levels, but the number of accused arrested remained low.

An analysis of case data showed that the number of accused arrested in August and September was the lowest compared to previous months. In many cases, arrests were made in the month following the filing of the case.

For example, a case was filed on 9 August, 23 days after the gang rape of two young women in South Keraniganj, but the case itself was filed on 2 September.

According to the police headquarters, January recorded the lowest number of cases filed this year, with just 850. The second-highest number of cases was filed in August, with 889 cases.

A total of 2,238 people were accused that month, and 530 were arrested. In September, 1,288 cases were filed, surpassing the number of cases in January to April, and July. In September, 2,986 people were accused, and 617 were arrested.

Assistant Inspector General (AIG) of the Media and Public Relations Wing of the Police Headquarters, Enamul Haque Sagar, told Prothom Alo that the accused sometimes go into hiding. However, he assured that the police are on high alert to apprehend the accused, emphasizing that there is no shortage of police capacity.

Over the past nine months, 3,393 cases have been filed on charges of rape. Of these, 223 were gang rapes, 12 were murders following rape, and 1,426 were attempted rapes.

Additionally, 3,208 cases were filed under charges of dowry-related torture, of which 136 were murders of women. There were also 2,617 cases of kidnapping and 42 cases involving the throwing of flammable substances.

Fahmida Akhter, a lawyer at the One-Stop Crisis Centre (OCC), which provides support for women and children who are victims of abuse, told Prothom Alo that when the accused are not arrested, the judicial process is delayed.

This prolongs the victim's suffering and contributes to an increase in crime within society. To ensure justice, she stressed that the real perpetrators must be identified and arrested.

She also called for the formation of a dedicated police investigation unit for sensitive cases such as rape, the use of flammable substances, trafficking and pornography.