An eight-year-old girl who was raped in Bangladesh died of her injuries Thursday, triggering widespread protests across the country.
The child was sexually assaulted while visiting her elder sister’s house in Magura city between the night of March 5 and the following morning, according to a case filed by her mother. Authorities arrested the elder sister’s 18-year-old husband, along with his parents and brother, placing them on remand.
Upon news of the girl’s death, an angry mob descended on the house where the alleged rape occurred and set it ablaze. According to a statement from the government’s Inter-Services Public Relations department, the child died around 13:00 local time (07:00 GMT) after suffering three cardiac arrests at the Combined Military Hospital in Dhaka.
“Although doctors managed to stabilize the condition twice, the heart failed to restart after the third episode,” the statement said. The girl had been in critical condition for six days after being admitted on March 8.
“I thought my daughter would survive,” her mother told local media following the girl’s death. “If she had made it through, I would never have let her go anywhere alone again.”
The child’s body was transported back to Magura by military helicopter, landing at the local stadium around 18:00 amid fierce demonstrations. Aiyub Ali, officer-in-charge of Magura Sadar Police Station, reported that authorities struggled to control the situation.
Thousands gathered in Magura’s public square for the girl’s namaz-e-janaza (Islamic funeral prayer) before her burial at 19:30. An absentee funeral was also held at Dhaka University, followed by a protest march led by female students.
Demonstrators demanded the government expedite justice for rape victims and reform laws related to women’s and children’s safety. Many called for greater clarity around legal definitions of rape in Bangladesh, which protesters described as currently ambiguous.
Legal advisor Asif Nazrul announced that the trial for the rape and murder case is expected to begin within seven days. “DNA sample collection has been completed, we hope to get the report within the next five days,” Nazrul told a press briefing, adding that statements had already been taken from 12 to 13 people.
“If we can start the trial within seven days, our judges will be able to ensure justice with the utmost speed,” he said.
Bangladesh introduced capital punishment for rape of minors in 2020, following a series of high-profile sexual violence cases, including the brutal gang assault on a 37-year-old woman that was filmed and circulated on social media.
Less than a week after the Magura incident, media reported at least three additional rapes of children around the same age in different parts of Bangladesh. In some cases, the accused were neighbors, while others were close relatives.
According to the Law and Arbitration Center, 3,438 child rape cases have been filed in Bangladesh over the past eight years. At least 539 victims were under six years old, and 933 were between seven and twelve. Research indicates that in most cases, children are sexually abused or raped by people they know.
