It is outrageous that a father had to lose his life for protesting against his daughter's harassment in Rajshahi City's Talaimari area on April 16. Reportedly, the victim's daughter was returning home from private tuition that day when a local youth named Nantu verbally harassed her on her way back. After she informed her parents of the incident, her father, Akram Hossain, complained to Nantu's parents about the harassment. At this, Nantu became furious and, along with his gang, attacked Akram Hossain and his son. One of the attackers struck him on the head with a brick, causing critical injuries. The man later died at Rajshahi Medical College Hospital.

This incident highlights the miserable state of women's safety, and the security of people in general, across the country. While harassment and stalking of adolescent girls are common occurrences, these incidents mostly go unreported unless they escalate to more severe forms of violence such as rape or murder. According to the Human Rights Support Society (HRSS), at least 11,758 women and girls have fallen victim to torture and violence, with 6,305 of them being raped between 2020 and 2024. During this time, a total of 2,624 women and girls have suffered sexual harassment.

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Combating violence against women and adolescent girls in Bangladesh

Parents of girls do not always protest such incidents for fear of retaliation from the harassers. Since the perpetrators are often powerful and politically connected, victims often lack the courage to go to the police, file cases, or seek protection. In many instances, parents stop sending their adolescent daughters to school and marry them off at a young age to prevent cases of stalking and sexual harassment. While it is the state's responsibility to ensure the safety of our women and girls in educational institutions, workplaces, and public places, it has failed us miserably in this regard, emboldening the perpetrators to continue their crimes with impunity.

The situation is so dire that anyone attempting to stop harassment and violence often becomes a victim themselves. For instance, earlier in April, a man was stabbed for protesting against the harassment of a schoolgirl in Netrakona's Atpara upazila. Several similar incidents have been reported in recent times.

We must ask: why should a father lose his life for standing against his daughter's harassment? Why doesn't the state take decisive action to ensure such crimes are never repeated by holding perpetrators accountable under the law? In the Rajshahi incident, the victim's family filed a case against Nantu and his associates. We hope the police will swiftly arrest all the accused and ensure they are punished according to the law. Only by ensuring justice can such violence be curbed.