Among victims of various forms of sexual violence whose ages were known, girls in grades I to V were the most frequent targets of rape in 2024, according to a new media monitoring report by Bangladesh Mahila Parishad.
The report found that these young girls also faced attempted rape, child marriage, dowry-related abuses, and sexual harassment and were highly vulnerable to cybercrime.
They also faced exploitation while working as domestic workers.
Sexual abuse was most prevalent at the high school level, among girls in grades 6 to 10, while university students were also frequently targeted, as they faced rape, attempted rape, gang rape, and cybercrime.
Alarmingly, 60 percent of rape victims were children under 18, and the majority of victims across all forms of violence were also under 18, highlighting the widespread abuse of girl children.
The findings of the report, titled "State of Violence Against Women and Girls – 2024", were presented at an event on Tuesday at Bangladesh Mahila Parishad's central office in the capital's Segunbagicha.
Afroza Arman, senior training and research officer at Mahila Parishad, presented data compiled from 14 national dailies.
She noted that there was no fundamental professional distinction in the risk of abuse.
"Women from all walks of life -- schoolgirls, housewives, working women, and labourers -- fall victim to horrific crimes like rape," she said.
While schoolgirls constituted the majority of victims, adult women across all professions were also affected, with housewives being targeted most frequently.
Analysis by location showed the highest percentages of sexual violence occurred at the upazila level, followed by the district level.
At the upazila level, 57 percent of rapes, 44 percent of gang rapes, 44 percent of attempted rapes, 48 percent of dowry-related abuses, and 63 percent of child marriages were recorded.
Most perpetrators were known to victims, including close relatives and neighbours.
Classmates and boyfriends were responsible for 14 percent of rapes, as well as 3 percent of gang rapes, 3 percent of attempted rapes, and 2 percent of harassment cases.
For gang rape, strangers were responsible for 42 percent of cases, while harassment was most often committed by "familiar criminals" or "miscreants (31 percent) and teachers (24 percent).
Cyber abuse was primarily carried out by boyfriends, ex-husbands, classmates, and neighbours.
Perpetrators ranged in age from adolescents to men over 60, with young people heavily involved in rape.
Twenty-eight percent of accused rapists were between 11 and 30, with the highest proportion aged 21–25.
A significant portion of gang rapists (24 percent) were aged 16–25. In harassment cases, 17 percent of perpetrators were aged 16–30, and half of cybercrime offenders fell within this age range.
The report also highlighted risk patterns in public and private spaces.
Children were notably at risk within their own homes or neighbouring houses, highlighting that presumed safe spaces can be dangerous as well.
Besides, the highest incidents of rape occurred at the hands of classmates or boyfriends, indicating that trusted social circles can be major sources of danger.
Public transport and interactions with drivers exposed women and girls to harassment and violence during commutes, while politically and socially influential individuals often exploited their power to commit sexual abuse, reinforcing systemic vulnerabilities.
Meanwhile, the report observed a positive trend that more rape cases are being legally filed compared to the past, with very few incidents remaining unreported.
However, a comparison of 2024 and early 2025 showed deeply concerning trends.
In 2024, 364 rape cases were reported, while in the first six months of 2025 alone, 354 cases were recorded, nearly matching the previous year's total.
Gang rape incidents totalled 148 in 2024 and 106 in the first half of 2025, while cases of murder following rape rose from 112 in 2024 to 127 in January–June 2025.
On the other hand, sexual abuse and harassment increased from 224 cases in the entirety of 2024 to 320 in the first half of 2025, while dowry-related incidents rose from 68 to 96.
Afroza noted that both the perpetrators and the victims are young, which is extremely concerning, as it shows that adolescents are becoming involved in incidents of sexual violence.
She also highlighted a positive aspect.
"Although there are still attempts to cover up rape cases, pressure to withdraw cases, and efforts to reach compromises through local arbitration instead of ensuring punishment for the accused, the tendency of victims to file cases has increased," she said, adding that social activism and initiatives to protest such incidents are also on the rise.
Other speakers noted that the study revealed children remain unsafe both at home and outside, demanding urgent attention to their protection.
They highlighted that grassroots incidents are more frequently reported in the media, as they are harder to conceal.
They also said Mahila Parishad has achieved a 98 percent success rate in pursuing legal cases, though delays remain a challenge, with some trials taking up to 25–26 years to conclude.
Presiding over the event, Mahila Parishad president Fauzia Moslem noted that the growing culture of misogyny fuels violence against women, while rising communalism, hatred toward women, and criminal tendencies push women and children into marginalised positions, making them frequent victims during instability.
She stressed the importance of replacing misogynistic culture with a women-friendly one and urged the media to play a stronger role in keeping public discussions on these issues alive.
She also called for greater collaboration between the media and the women's movement to prevent violence against women.
