A woman who had stepped out of her house to relieve herself was allegedly kidnapped and raped by four to five men in Sundarganj upazila of Gaibandha district.   The alleged crime occurred early on Monday morning.   Police said the accused took the woman to a desolate place and took turns to rape her after gagging her. But after she passed out, the accused panicked and fled from there.   Local residents spotted the woman and rushed her to Gaibandha District Hospital.   Cops have identified the accused as Mastan Shaheb Mia, Khushu Mia, Laltu Mia, Khorshed and Anarul. "Efforts are on to nab them," a police officer said. Also read: 'Only mindset change can eradicate rape culture in Bangladesh'   Bangladesh's rape epidemic   Sexual assaults on women continue unabated in Bangladesh, despite the government introducing death penalty for rapes last year.   Earlier last month, a police headquarters report said that 26,695 rape cases were filed across the country in the past five years.   Ain o Salish Kendra (ASK) data shows that 1,018 children were raped last year alone, but only 683 police cases had been filed. Also, 116 survivors were six years old or below. Also read: Much-talked-about changes to rape law passed in parliament   Overall, 1,627 rape cases were reported last year and 53 of the women were killed by the perpetrators while 14 took their own lives, as per the data.   However, ASK's data is just the tip of the iceberg, according to aid agencies, who report that most women are too afraid to report rape.   In October 2020, the country was rocked by protests after a woman was allegedly attacked and raped in Noakhali.   In November last year, Bangladesh introduced capital punishment for rape, following days of protests against sexual violence against women in several cities across the country.   But human rights organisations say the move will not solve the country's rape crisis, as the survivors of the heinous crime are often stigmatised in the society.  

A Chattogram tribunal on Monday sentenced eight people to death for killing a nine-year-old girl after rape in 2018.

The much-talked-about 'Women and Children Repression Prevention (Amendment) Bill, 2020' was passed in the Parliament on Tuesday for ensuring death penalty as the highest punishment for the heinous crime of rape.