A woman returning home alone was allegedly kidnapped and raped by a group of miscreants in Patuakhali's Bauphal upazila Thursday night.

Officer-in-Charge of Bauphal Police Station Al Mamun said Friday the crime occurred in the Chandradip area around 9 pm when the mother of three was returning home alone.

"The miscreants kidnapped her and took her to a desolate location, where they raped her. The accused later fled from the spot," the OC said, adding the woman has been sent to hospital for a medical examination.

Efforts are on to identify and nab the accused, he said.

Also read: Bangladesh introduces death penalty for rape

Rapes in Bangladesh

Rape cases are on the rise in Bangladesh although the government has introduced death penalty for the heinous crime.

According to data compiled by Ain o Salish Kendra (ASK), a rights group, 1,018 children were raped last year alone, but only 683 cases were filed at police stations. Among them, 116 survivors were 6 years or below.

Overall 1,627 rape cases were reported last year, and 53 of the survivors had been killed by the perpetrators of the crime, while 14 took their own lives, the ASK data reveals.

Also read: Don’t reveal identities of sexual harassment, rape victims: HC

In November last year, Bangladesh introduced death penalty for rape, following days of protests against sexual violence against women.

In October 2020, the country was rocked by huge protests after a woman was attacked and raped in Noakhali district. In another case in Sylhet a week later, a woman was raped by several men at a hostel, triggering nationwide protests again.

A total of 26,695 rape cases have been filed across the country in the past five years, according to the police headquarters.

Also read: Police HQ: 26,695 rape cases filed in 5 yrs, with notable jump since 2019