Bangladesh approves Death Penalty for Rape Cases following protests

Bangladesh Cabinet has approved the death penalty as a maximum punishment for rape cases and sexual assaults in the country. Earlier, the maximum punishment for those convicted of rape and sexual assault was life imprisonment. In this regard, the Cabinet headed by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina approved the proposed amendment in the Women and Children Repression Prevention Act on October 12, 2020.

The move came as a response to recent protests against the increasing cases of rapes and sexual violence. The Protesters demanded stricter punishment for rape cases and faster trials for the rapists in the country.

This year, between January and September 2020, over 900 rape cases have been reported in Bangladesh. Around 200 women faced sexual harassment during this period and 9 victims took their own lives.

What led to the protests?

As per the Human Rights Watch (HRW), the protests at Dhaka's Shahbagh square and other parts of country began after a video went viral wherein a group of men were seen attacking, stripping and sexually assaulting a woman.

Also to mention, this is not the first time that Government responded to rising cases of sexual assualt. Previously in January 2020, Bangladeshi government constituted a commission, considering the rise in number of rape cases in 2019.

Pending sexual harassment and witness protection laws

Though the Bangladeshi government has taken several measures to deal with rape cases in the country, the government is yet to fulfill its promises by passing the sexual harassment and witness protection laws for the victims. The rape victims or survivors still continue to face stigma in the country and the attackers are rarely convicted. The rape conviction rate in Bangladesh is below 1%.