Dhaka: The 8-year-old rape victim passed away on Thursday at the Combined Military Hospital (CMH) in Bangladesh’s capital city, Dhaka, after fighting for her life for a week, according to local media reports.
The Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) announced that she died at the CMH around 1:00 pm, reports the leading Bangladeshi newspaper, The Daily Star.
She had suffered several cardiac arrests as of Thursday morning while on life support at the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) of CMH, according to the office of the interim government’s Chief Advisor.
On Thursday morning, the victim suffered two more cardiac arrests after already experiencing four on Wednesday.
The Bangladesh Army issued a statement on social media on Wednesday and stated that the condition of the 8-year-old remains critical and her blood pressure and oxygen levels are dangerously low.
The army urged people to pray for her, however, the child succumbed to her injuries.
The incident occurred when the victim was raped by her sister’s father-in-law in Magura last week.
The victim, who sustained critical injuries, was initially treated in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit at Dhaka Medical College Hospital before being transferred to CMH Hospital for advanced care.
In recent days several students and teachers from different universities across the country, including Dhaka University, North South University, Independent University, Bangladesh, and Rajshahi University, demonstrated against the rising rape incidents, including that of the eight-year-old child in Magura, and demanded exemplary punishment for the perpetrators of the crime.
Outraged over the rising incidents of gender-based violence across Bangladesh, the ‘University Teachers’ Network’ also held a gathering last week at Dhaka University’s Aparajeyo Bangla, where teachers and students of six universities nationwide participated.
The protestors condemned ongoing violence against women, discussed its root causes, and criticised government failures.
Dhaka University Professor Tasneem Siraj Mahboob called for the dismissal of the Home Affairs Advisor Jahangir Alam Chowdhury, instead of his resignation, emphasising that she had demanded this months ago.
“Resignation is an honourable exit. He doesn’t deserve that honour,” leading Bangladeshi daily The Dhaka Tribune quoted her as saying.
The statistics on violence against women in Bangladesh have exposed the grim reality in the country under the Muhammad Yunus-led interim regime.
Addressing the situation of violence against women in Bangladesh that remained troubling in 2025, with shocking numbers reported in the first two months, Fauzia Moslem, President of Bangladesh Mahila Parishad, speaking to The Daily Star, said, “Society is descending into chaos, where lawlessness and criminal impunity are growing. The failure of law enforcement, compromises, and lack of accountability are empowering criminals.”
Several cases of violence against women have been reported from across Bangladesh since the Yunus-led interim government came to power in August 2024.
The incompetence of the interim government in curbing gender-based violence sparked public outrage, with many demanding the resignation of Home Affairs Advisor Jahangir Alam Chowdhury and holding the interim government led by Yunus accountable for degrading the law and order situation across the nation.
(IANS)
