Staff Reporter:
Activists and citizens staged a protest rally at the Central Shaheed Minar on Friday demanding a speedy trial for the recent rape and murder of a child in the capital’s Pallabi area.
The Anti-Rape Citizens Network organised the demonstration at 4:30pm, where speakers called for swift justice in all cases of violence against women and children across the country.
They argued that the continuation of such brutal crimes reflects a deeply rooted culture of impunity and demanded stricter enforcement of existing laws.
Monira Sharmin, president of the Network, emphasised the need for a unified movement to pressure the government.
“If we could unite under one banner and raise our voice against these rapes and murders, then the movement would have been stronger and effective pressure could have been created on the government,” Sharmin said, alleging that political interference often delays justice in these cases.
“After the Pallabi incident, we thought that such barbarity would stop. But in reality, we are counting more new cases, which is very worrying,” she added.
Expressing solidarity at the event, Farzana Ahmed, a lecturer at National Ideal Girls’ College, highlighted the systemic delays in implementing child protection laws.
“If we could see an exemplary trial of even one rape case, then such crimes would have decreased a lot,” Ahmed said.
She noted that the actual situation is likely far more severe because many incidents in remote rural and riverine island areas go unreported.
She urged authorities to strengthen administrative measures to ensure swift legal action.
“Even if high-ranking people visit the victim’s house and express sympathy, it cannot ease the grief of the victim’s family. We want the implementation of strict laws that will instill fear in the criminals,” Ahmed stated.
Rehana Akhter Ruma, a neighbour of the deceased, shared her firsthand account of the tragedy.
“I saw the body directly. Even now, when I close my eyes, that scene comes to mind. It is difficult to express in words how depraved a person is to commit such atrocities in such a planned manner,” Ruma said.
Demanding the death penalty for the perpetrators, she suggested a shift in public focus.
“Instead of revealing the identity of the victim, the identity and photos of the criminals should be published so that the society can resist them,” she said.
Several other representatives from various professions addressed the rally, including Tarique Rahman Adel, joint convener of the National Citizen Party Dhaka metropolitan north, Supreme Court lawyer Jasim Nayed, and Jahangirnagar University student Nadia Rahman Anbesha.
The speakers concluded the rally by demanding that the government eliminate the culture of impunity, expedite all pending rape and murder trials, and take immediate, effective steps to protect women and children.
