A total of 404 women and girls were victims of rape across Bangladesh from January to June this year, including 238 children and adolescents, according to a half-yearly human rights report by the Human Rights Support Society (HRSS). The report also said that 17 victims were killed after rape.

The report stated that 1,621 women and girls faced various forms of violence during the first six months of the year, marking a 56 percent increase compared to the same period last year.

According to the HRSS report, 88 women and children were victims of gang rape, while 476 faced sexual harassment or abuse during the period. It also recorded 320 women killed in domestic violence, while 1,077 children faced abuse, including 305 child deaths.

The HRSS said the report was prepared based on information collected from 16 national media outlets and its own fact-finding investigations. The organization warned that unresolved issues such as violence against women and children, mob violence, deaths in custody, and attacks on journalists and workers could further worsen the country’s human rights situation.

Ashik/M.