Domestic violence against women and children saw a significant increase in Rajshahi in 2024, with reported cases tripling compared to the previous year, reportedly due to ongoing inflation and a culture of impunity.
According to the annual report by the rights organisation Ain O Salish Kendra, 523 women across the country were subjected to domestic violence between January and December 2024. Among them, 299 women鈥攁pproximately 57 per cent鈥攚ere from the Rajshahi district.
The report was compiled based on data from national dailies, online media, and 180 members of Community Social Organisations under a project titled AGNEE鈥� Awareness, Action, and Advocacy for Gender-equal and Safe Spaces for Women and Girls.
In association with non-government organisation BRAC and funded by the European Union, the ASK is implementing the three-year-long project in Rajshahi and Gazipur districts.
An analysis of the annual reports reveals that the number of domestic violence victims in Rajshahi increased from 97 in 2023 to 299 in 2024.
Among the 299 victims, 10 women committed suicide, and 18 were killed by their husbands or their husbands鈥� family members. In contrast, 2023 saw only one suicide and seven murders related to domestic violence, according to the reports.
The issue of dowry-related violence has also worsened. In 2024, 255 housewives were tortured for dowries, with eight of them murdered and two committing suicides. This is a sharp increase from 2023, when 65 women were tortured, five of whom were murdered.
Incidents of sexual harassment against women and children in the district also doubled last year. In 2024, 54 women and children were subjected to sexual harassment, with one killed for protesting and 32 physically assaulted.
However, the number of rape incidents remained nearly unchanged, with 28 cases reported in 2024 compared to 25 in 2023.
Hasibul Hasan Pallab, district manager of the AGNEE project of Ain O Salish Kendra in Rajshahi, attributed the rise in domestic violence to inflation and economic hardship.
鈥楧ue to inflation, the prices of essential commodities have risen sharply, but the incomes of common people鈥攅specially those in low- and middle-income groups鈥攈ave not increased. This anxiety and stress often lead to the torture and harassment of women and children,鈥� he said.
Pallab also said that a change in the political landscape on August 5 had also fuelled domestic violence.
Echoing Pallab, Wardatul Akmam, a professor of sociology at Rajshahi University, said, 鈥楾he political changes after the student-led mass uprising on August 5 have contributed to the increase in violence, as individuals who previously earned money鈥攍egally or illegally鈥攖hrough political connections are now struggling,鈥� she added.
Akmam also highlighted that law enforcement agencies鈥� failure to combat crimes have fuelled violence against women.
Kalpana Roy, president of Mohila Parishad in Rajshahi, attributed the rise in violence to the prevailing culture of impunity.
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