Bangladesh Mahila Parishad has reported that at least 1,667 women and girls faced various forms of violence across Bangladesh between January and July this year. The figures, compiled from 14 newspapers, include the killing of 83 girls and 258 women, the rape of 292 women and girls, and 31 incidents of rape followed by murder. The organisation released the data during a human chain held outside the Jatiya Press Club in Dhaka on Sunday, protesting the persistent violence, rape, and murder of women and children across the country.

Speaking at the event, Mahila Parishad president Fauzia Moslem said Bangladesh has increasingly become a "safe haven" for rape and abuse, and cautioned that the actual scale of violence could be far higher since the data was drawn from only a limited number of media outlets. General Secretary Maleka Banu said the figures show that women and children are not safe anywhere in the country today, noting that victims are subjected not only to sexual violence but also murder and torture, with even young children falling prey to sexual abuse.

Speakers attributed the ongoing violence to entrenched patriarchal attitudes and discriminatory social norms that fail to treat women with dignity. They called for a broader social movement, stronger law enforcement, and effective oversight to curb violence against women and children, and urged authorities to govern with patriotism, humanity, and responsibility to restore violated human rights.