Bangladesh: Child sexual abuse reportedly on rise

DHAKA, Bangladesh

Sexual abuses on children in Bangladesh marked an alarming rise in 2019, according to an annual report by an NGO network.

"A total of 1,383 children were sexually abused in 2019, an alarming 72.32% rise compared to the previous year," Bangladesh Shishu Adhikar Forum [Bangladesh Child Rights Forum], a national network of 272 registered NGOs working mostly on human rights, said in its annual report published on Wednesday in Dhaka.

A total of 812 children faced sexual tortures in 2018, according to the report based on information published in leading 15 newspapers.

The report, however, said that in some other indicators -- including unnatural deaths, abduction, physical torturing and early marriage -- the child rights situation in Bangladesh improved in 2019.

"The total number of children abused in 2019 has been slightly reduced to 4,381 while the figure in 2018 was 4,566," said the report.

The government of Bangladesh has taken various initiatives to minimize child abuses, State Minister of Women and Children Affairs Fazilatun Nessa Indira told Anadolu Agency.

But according to the figures in the report, sexual abuses of children rose in 2019, despite the overall improvement.

"In most cases children are tortured either sexually or any other way by family members or close relatives and so family awareness is very important," Indira said.

She added: "8,000 adolescent clubs are working across the country to raise family awareness about children's rights under the supervision and assistance of government".

Meanwhile, the report recorded that 448 children were murdered in 2019, marking a 7.18% rise in comparison to the previous year that recorded 418 child murder incidents.

"The children were murdered mostly due to family dispute, conjugal conflict, dowry, extra-marital affairs, enmity and some other minor causes," the report analyzed.

In July 2019, an incident of rape and murder of a 7-year-old girl in capital Dhaka's Wari area marked a huge tremor across the country, in addition to accusations of sexual harassment by teachers at educational institutions.

To curb child abuses, the report urged the government to ensure speedy trial of culprits, protection of eyewitnesses and family members of the victims, providing legal assistance to poor victims and increased monitoring.

The report also emphasized on building awareness among parents and legal guardians and strengthening monitoring in the schools.