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concerns, criticising the government’s failure to protect women and children.
MJF Executive Director Shaheen Anam said, “Our justice system and protective measures have failed. This is utterly unacceptable.”
She pointed out that sexual violence, particularly incest, often goes unreported due to stigma and misplaced notions of family honour. “If we remain silent, predators will continue to act with impunity,” she warned.
MJF called for the establishment of a National Commission for Children’s Affairs and urged better coordination between authorities to enforce stronger child protection measures.
The National Girl Child Advocacy Forum also condemned the culture of impunity, citing social stigma, intimidation, and pressure from offenders as key barriers to justice.
The forum President Badiul Alam Majumdar called for high-quality state-sponsored medical care for the Magura rape victim, protection for her family, and swift punishment for the offenders. The forum also urged the immediate passage of the Sexual Harassment Prevention and Remedy Act.
Sada Dal, a teachers’ organisation affiliated with the BNP-Jamaat alliance, attributed the rise in sexual violence to social decay.
Convenor Prof Morshed Hasan Khan and other leaders urged the interim government to take stricter action.
Hefazat-e-Islam condemned the rape of an eight-year-old girl in Magura, calling the crime “worse than any cruelty seen during the age of ignorance.” It demanded public punishment under Islamic law.
Hefazat-e-Islam Amir Muhibbullah Babunagari and Secretary General Maulana Sayedur Rahman blamed impunity under the previous government for the rise in such crimes and called for reforms to colonial-era laws.
The Nirapod Bangladesh Chai platform also condemned the Magura incident, warning of a deteriorating law and order situation. Spokesperson Raihan Uddin described the crime as morally reprehensible and called for immediate government and law enforcement action.
The “Amrai Pari” alliance criticised the government’s leniency towards convicted rapists and murderers, noting that some have been granted bail despite rising violence. The alliance accused the authorities of using such incidents to intimidate women and restrict their freedom.
It further condemned the interim government’s lack of action and urged it to take decisive steps to address the crisis.
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that country also, which is my major concern as of today.”
In a veiled reference to China and Pakistan, Dwivedi said there is a “high degree of collusivity,” which must be accepted.
“What it means, as far as I am concerned, the two-front threat is a reality,” he said in response to a question on proximity between China and Pakistan.
During the session, he fielded a broad range of questions about the army’s preparedness for the future, lessons from ongoing conflicts, the situation in Bangladesh, and at the Line of Actual Control and the Line of Control.