Bangladesh police warn of 'crisis' as rape cases surge

Bangladesh's leading women’s rights group reported on Wednesday a dramatic surge in rape cases it blamed on worsening security, with police calling the general law and order situation a “crisis”.

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Fauzia Moslem, president of Bangladesh Mohila Parishad group, said the number of sexual assaults in the first six months of 2025 nearly equalled the total for all of last year -- a period that also included the turmoil during mass protests that toppled the government in August 2024.

“Violence against women increases when there is a deterioration of law and order,” Moslem told AFP, warning of “a deliberate attempt in society to create an ‘anti-women’ atmosphere”.