Citing numerous cases of sexual assault, violence against women and children, murder after rape, deaths from law enforcement agencies, and political violence, the monthly human rights violations monitoring report of Ain o Salish Kendra (ASK) has painted a grim picture in Bangladesh during January-August this year. At least 31 incidents of murder after rape occurred across the country in the last eight months till August 31, according to the ASK e-bulletin published in September. Read: Absconding accused in rape and murder case of Natore school teacher arrested The bulletin reflected on the situation of human rights violations in Bangladesh through its documented statistics. The documentation unit of ASK came up with the findings based on the reports of nine leading national dailies and its own sources. At least 641 women were sexually assaulted in the last eight months this year. Seven incidents of death after rape also occurred during the same period. Around 770 incidents of violence against children occurred, of which 392 children became victims of sexual assault. Also, 347 children were killed and 95 others were killed after torture during the same period. Read: Day 1 of Anti-dengue drive: DNCC realises over Tk 4 lakh in fines At least 13 incidents of deatsh from law enforcement agencies occurred. Also, 324 incidents of domestic violence occurred, of which 134 women were allegedly murdered by their husbands. At least 54 people were killed and 4,379 injured in 341 incidents of political violence during the same period, according to the ASK report.

Ain O Salish Kendra (ASK), a human rights body, on Thursday filed a writ petition seeking implementation of a decade old order of the High Court on prevention of sexual harassment of woman and children at workplaces and educational institutions. On behalf of ASK advocate Md Shahinuzzaman and Sayeda Nasrin submitted the writ against the Public Administration secretary and 42 others. The bench of Justice Md Mojibur Rahman Mia and Justice Md Kamrul Hossain Molla is likely to hear the petition next week, said court sources. In 2009, the HC passed a guideline with direction to form a five-membe committee at every organization for preventing sexual harassment. The direction was not implemented and even the Supreme Court Bar Association has no such committee to prevent sexual harassment, said ASK’s lawyer Md Shahinuzzaman. On August 7, 2008 advocate Salma Ali, director of Bangladesh National Woman Lawyers' Association (BNWLA) filed a writ petition before the High Court in public interest seeking directions to put a stop to sexual harassment at educational institutes and workplace. On May 14, 2009, HC passed the order to form a ‘Sexual Harassment Prevention Committee’ at all organizations including educational institutions, media organizations, national and private institutions. In compliance with the order, University Grants Commission (UGC) issued a guideline and directed all the government and private universities to implement it. “But it was not implemented and stricter direction to form such committees at the secondary to higher educational institutions is needed to prevent sexual harassment,” said advocate Shahinuzzaman. Sexual Harassment Prevention Committee According to the HC order, the committee will consist of at least five members and most of its members will be women. Two members will be appointed from outside the institution and a woman will have to be made head of the committee if possible. The order also directed all the educational institutions to hold orientation with the students in this regard at the beginning of each academic year followed by at the end of every month. It directed to publish the direction on gender equality and sexual harassment stated in the constitution as a book. The court said until these directions are not transformed into a law it will act as a law according to paragraph 111 of the constitution and guidelines will be effective at the educational institutions accordingly. Definition of sexual harassment The HC in its order said, both physical and mental torture will be included in sexual harassment. Disturbance through e-mail, SMS, telephone, pornography, obscene images, comments, complementing someone in a suggestive way will also be concluded as sexual harassments, it said. The court mentioned such acts outside the organizations will also be considered as sexual harassment. Threatening, pressurizing or making false promises to form sexual relationship with a woman, obscene image, offending acts and writings on the wall will also be counted as sexual harassment, said HC in its order.

Police on Sunday arrested four people over the alleged gang-rape of a garment worker in Gazirhat area of Ashulia in Savar.

The Incidents of extrajudicial killings declined significantly in the country over the last three months, according to rights group Ain O Salish Kendra (ASK).   A report compiled by ASK and presented at a virtual discussion on Thursday noted that only nine incidents of extrajudicial killings took place in three months -- three each in August, September and October.   ASK assistant co-coordinator Tamanna Hoq said extrajudicial killings fell considerably since the killing of Maj (retd) Sinha on July 31.   As per their report, Tamanna said 50 incidents of extrajudicial killings took place in the country alone in July and 28 in June.   She said 219 persons were killed by law enforcers either in custody or in so-called gunfights till October 25.   Besides, Tamanna said 63 people died in different jails of the country for various reasons, including illness, during the same period.   She said 1,307 women were raped across the country till October 25 this year. “Of them, 326 were violated alone in October.”   Of the total victims, 270 were subjected to gang-rape while 45 were killed after rape and 13 committed suicide.   Tamanna said 1,398 children were tortured in different ways while 474 were killed over the last 10 months.   Of the total victims, she said 824 children were subjected to rape while 25 boys were molested at different educational institutions.   She said 41 Bangladeshis were killed along the border until October 25 this year. Of them, 35 were gunned down by Indian Border Security Force (BSF) while six others were tortured to death.   The report was prepared based on news published in different national dailies, online news portals, and the rights body’s own findings.   Speaking at the programme, Chairperson of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) Nasima Begum said the extrajudicial killing cannot be supported in any way.   “It’s an extreme violation of human rights. No person having conscience can support such killings,” she said.   She said their commission is very vocal against the extrajudicial killings.   Nasima said their commission is very worried over the rise in rape of women and children and molestation of boys. “There’s no alternative to ensuring prompt trial for these incidents,” she said.   Also read: ASK seeks trial of disappearance incidents

Two Bangladeshis were shot dead by members of Indian Border Security Force (BSF) along Amjhol border in Hatibandha upazila on Wednesday.

Alongside an increase in incidents of rape, the country saw 388 cases of extrajudicial killings in the year of 2019, said a new report on Tuesday.