Bangladesh passes new women, child protection law after rape and death of 8-year-old

Special Women activists holding posters take part in a protest in front of Bangladesh's Parliament building in Dhaka on March 7, 2025, condemning violence against women in the country. (AFP)
Women activists holding posters take part in a protest in front of Bangladesh's Parliament building in Dhaka on March 7, 2025, condemning violence against women in the country. (AFP)
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Updated 20 March 2025
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Bangladesh passes new women, child protection law after rape and death of 8-year-old

Bangladesh passes new women, child protection law after rape and death of 8-year-old
  • 8-year-old victim died after battling for her life for almost a week in hospital
  • New law halves investigation and trial time, removes DNA test requirement

DHAKA: Bangladesh passed a new law on Thursday, expediting the investigation and trial process in rape cases. The move follows nationwide outrage after an eight-year-old girl was raped and subsequently died from her injuries.

The girl, from Magura in southwestern Bangladesh, was staying at the house of her elder sister-in-law when the incident took place in early March. She was admitted to the Combined Military Hospital in Dhaka in a critical condition and died six days later.

The news of her death sparked protests across the country. As her body was taken for burial in Magura, thousands of people gathered in the city to participate in her funeral prayers.

An absentee funeral was also held for her at Dhaka University, followed by a protest march.

The incident resulted in mounting pressure on the government to reform laws related to rape and the safety of women and children.

The first law to be amended was the Women and Children Repression Prevention Ordinance, which was passed by Bangladesh’s Advisory Council — the highest institution of its interim government led by Chief Adviser Prof. Muhammad Yunus.

“To ensure speedy trial and punishment of rape suspects, this reform was necessary. It will also help in ensuring proper investigation,” Azad Majumder, the chief adviser’s deputy press secretary, told Arab News.

The new law reduces the investigation period of rape cases from 30 days to 15 days and the time for completing the trial from 180 days to 90 days.

Under the law, a special tribunal will be dedicated to handling child rape cases.

Judges will also be allowed to proceed with trials based on medical certificates and circumstantial evidence without requiring DNA tests. The tests were previously mandatory for the trial to begin, even though samples were not always available as it often takes time for victims or their families to register a case.

“Earlier, the trial process had to wait for the DNA profiling report of the accused. But now the trial can begin based on circumstantial evidence,” Majumder said.

The rape of minors is punishable by death in Bangladesh.

More than 5,600 reports of the rape of girls aged below 18 were filed across the country in the past 10 years, according to data from Ain o Salish Kendra — a key women and children’s group in Bangladesh. However, the numbers are unlikely to reflect reality as many victims do not report the crime.

Part of the problem, according to advocate Elina Khan from the Bangladesh Human Rights Foundation, is the slow response by police.

“The investigation process demands extra care and attention. Sometimes, our police stations don’t respond immediately to rape cases. If their responses were quick, evidence collection would be easier and investigation would also take less time,” she told Arab News.

“Authorities should also improve logistical preparations in court, especially to protect the child from emotional distress and psychological harm during the hearing. The child should be brought to court with care, considering the psychological impact on the victim.”

She said she also expected more accountability from law enforcement officials if the new law was to have any effect.

“The ordinance doesn’t say anything about what will happen if an investigation officer fails to complete the investigation process within the guided timeframe. Investigators should be held accountable for failing to investigate within the time,” Khan said.

“We have the appropriate human resources in this regard. We just need to engage them all. If we can ensure the proper application of the law, monitoring from the authority and accountability of the responsible persons, justice can be swiftly delivered.”


Philippines flooding displaces thousands as new storm threatens

Philippines flooding displaces thousands as new storm threatens
Updated 20 sec ago
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Philippines flooding displaces thousands as new storm threatens

Philippines flooding displaces thousands as new storm threatens
  • Heavy flooding inundated the Philippines’ capital on Tuesday, forcing tens of thousands of people to flee and schools and government offices to shut, while a fresh storm brewed off the coast
MANILA: Heavy flooding inundated the Philippines’ capital on Tuesday, forcing tens of thousands of people to flee and schools and government offices to shut, while a fresh storm brewed off the coast.
At least six people have died and another six remain missing after Tropical Storm Wipha skirted the country on Friday, according to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council.
Many neighborhoods in Manila woke to find calf-deep pools of floodwater Tuesday after an overnight downpour swelled the Marikina River.
More than 23,000 people living along the riverbank were evacuated from their homes overnight and moved to schools, village halls and covered courtyards.
About 47,000 more were evacuated from across the capital’s Quezon, Pasig and Caloocan areas, as well as from the main government district.
“Usually, these people are from low-lying areas like beside creeks,” said Wilmer Tan of the Marikina rescue office, who said the river had reached 18 meters (59 feet) in height.
An elderly woman and her driver were swept down one of the swollen creeks as they attempted to cross a bridge in Caloocan, said John Paul Nietes, an emergency worker.
It was initially hoped that the pair had escaped after the car was recovered with a broken window.
But Caloocan Mayor Dale Gonzalo Malapitan announced one of the bodies had been found.
“We’ve found (the driver),” he told Manila radio station DZMM.
“The body was recovered 4.5 kilometers from where the vehicle was swept away.... They were unable to bail out.”

As floodwaters began receding in Manila by Tuesday afternoon, the national weather service said a low-pressure area off the country’s east coast had developed into a tropical depression.
While not expected to make landfall, the depression would bring continued heavy rain through the end of the week, the agency said.
Thousands of people, meanwhile, remained unable to return to their homes.
AFP journalists in Cainta, a small town on the outskirts of the capital, saw residents using styrofoam boxes and abandoned refrigerators as makeshift floatation devices to navigate the floodwaters.
Angelo Dela Cruz, 18, employed a rubber boat — one purchased in anticipation of frequent flooding — to transport rice for his aunt’s small eatery.
“Instead of using the van, we have to use the boat and push it while we wade through the flood to prevent the rice from getting wet,” he said.
At least 20 storms or typhoons strike or come near the Philippines each year, with the country’s poorest regions typically the hardest hit.
Deadly and destructive storms are becoming more powerful as the world gets warmer because of climate change.
“This is hard, because if the rain will continue... the river will swell,” Manila street sweeper Avelina Lumangtad, 61, told AFP as she stood next to a flooded thoroughfare.
“The floods are dangerous.”

New York mayoral frontrunner Mamdani leaves business leaders divided on opposition strategy

New York mayoral frontrunner Mamdani leaves business leaders divided on opposition strategy
Updated 14 min 22 sec ago
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New York mayoral frontrunner Mamdani leaves business leaders divided on opposition strategy

New York mayoral frontrunner Mamdani leaves business leaders divided on opposition strategy
  • Many leaders say either Andrew Cuomo or Mayor Eric Adams needs to drop out for the other to have a chance against surprise Democratic primary winner Zohran Mamdani

NEW YORK: The business community in New York City is scrambling to figure out who to support in November’s mayoral race, with many leaders saying either Andrew Cuomo or Mayor Eric Adams needs to drop out for the other to have a chance against surprise Democratic primary winner Zohran Mamdani.

Following Cuomo’s announcement that he would stay in the race as an independent after losing to Mamdani, New York-based CEOs have yet to coalesce behind either the former governor or incumbent Adams in their bid to defeat Mamdani, a Democratic socialist who won the primary in June.

Several business leaders who would only speak under the condition of anonymity said they would support Cuomo, while others were backing Adams, a former police captain who was elected mayor as a Democrat in 2021 but this year decided to run as an independent, as less sure of the former governor’s chances.

Many leaders are taking a wait-and-see approach — though others believe that could be a bad move, keeping another candidate from gaining momentum.

Mamdani won the June 24 primary with 56 percent of the vote, bolstered by young voters drawn to his social media presence and messaging focused on solving the city’s affordability crisis. Polling suggests he would prevail over a fractured field of Cuomo, Adams and Republican candidate Curtis Sliwa, but some polls suggest Cuomo would win a head-to-head matchup against Mamdani in heavily Democratic New York.

Business owners are concerned that Mamdani’s proposals, which include rent freezes, free city buses and city-owned grocery stores, would add to residents’ tax burden and cause an exodus of capital.

Mamdani says his plans, which also include free childcare, would be paid for by raising corporate taxes and imposing an additional 2 percent income tax on New Yorkers earning more than $1 million a year.

“I can only vote for one candidate in November, and that decision won’t be made until closer to Election Day,” said Jared Epstein, president of real-estate owner and developer Aurora Capital Associates, in an email. “Until then, like nearly every one of the 20,000 contacts in my phone, my position is simple: ABZ – ‘Anyone But Zohran.’“

Mamdani has raised about $820,000 since the primary through July 21, according to the city’s campaign finance board. Few prominent business leaders have publicly come out in support of Mamdani, who has received endorsements from unions that previously backed Cuomo. In recent days, Mamdani met with executives in a meeting organized by the nonprofit Partnership for New York City.

“He did a pretty good job of making the case that he was open to conversations, discussion and learning, and that he wanted to build a coalition that would represent all New Yorkers,” said Kathy Wylde, president and chief executive officer of the group.

Cuomo has said he would drop out by September if he isn’t the clear favorite and has urged others to do the same, though by state law his name would remain on the ballot. He has raised just $64,000 since June 10.

Adams has raised roughly $1.5 million since June 10. Maria and Kenneth Fishel, who own luxury real estate company Renaissance Properties, hosted a fundraiser for Adams in Long Island’s Hamptons over the 4th of July weekend. Adams has also received support on social media from hedge-fund managers Bill Ackman and Daniel Loeb. He has been endorsed by 13 police unions.

Hedge fund manager Whitney Tilson, who ran in this year’s Democratic mayoral primary, receiving just 0.8 percent of the vote, said in an email that once the election is one month away, “it will hopefully be clear who’s better positioned to beat Mamdani and ONLY THEN should the other guy drop.”

Neither Cuomo nor Mamdani’s campaigns responded to a request for comment.

Todd Shapiro, spokesperson for Adams, said Adams made New York stronger after the pandemic and will continue to deliver results for the business community in New York.

Sliwa, who is polling behind both Mamdani and Cuomo, said he is not planning on dropping out; Sliwa, as the Republican candidate in the 2021 mayoral general election won 27.8 percent of the vote.


Kremlin on Ukraine peace talks: Do not expect miracles

Kremlin on Ukraine peace talks: Do not expect miracles
Updated 42 min 50 sec ago
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Kremlin on Ukraine peace talks: Do not expect miracles

Kremlin on Ukraine peace talks: Do not expect miracles
  • Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Saturday that Kyiv has sent Moscow an offer to hold another round of peace talks in Turkiye this week

MOSCOW: The Kremlin said on Tuesday that there was no basis to expect miracles from a proposed third round of direct Russian-Ukrainian peace talks, and declined to give any time frame for a potential agreement to end the war.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Saturday that Kyiv has sent Moscow an offer to hold another round of peace talks in Turkiye this week, and that he wants to speed up negotiations for a ceasefire.

“There is no reason to expect any breakthroughs in the category of miracles – it is hardly possible in the current situation,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters.

“We intend to pursue our interests, we intend to ensure our interests and fulfil the tasks that we set for ourselves from the very beginning.”

Asked if he could give a sense of how the Kremlin saw the potential time frame of a possible peace agreement, Peskov said he could give no guidance on timing.

“There is a lot of work to be done before we can talk about the possibility of some top-level meetings,” Peskov added, a day after Zelensky renewed a call for a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin.


Tourists and laborers seek respite as Greece and Balkans gripped by heatwave

Tourists and laborers seek respite as Greece and Balkans gripped by heatwave
Updated 46 min 4 sec ago
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Tourists and laborers seek respite as Greece and Balkans gripped by heatwave

Tourists and laborers seek respite as Greece and Balkans gripped by heatwave
ATHENS: Laborers were pausing outdoor work and tourists seeking out shade on Tuesday as Greece sweltered under its third heatwave of the summer and soaring temperatures gripped the wider Balkan region, fueling wildfires in Albania. Situated at Europe’s southernmost tip, Greece, which attracts dozens of millions of tourists every year, has always had hot and dry summers. But in recent years climate change has led to longer and more severe heatwaves, as well as destructive floods and wildfires. Couriers, food delivery riders and builders in the wider area of the Greek capital Athens and other regions were among those ordered to pause work from midday until 5 p.m., as the mercury was expected to climb as high as 43 degrees Celsius, the labor ministry said. Workers with underlying health issues were advised to work remotely to avoid heat stress. Outside the parliament building in central Athens, a soldier used a towel to wipe the sweat from the face of a presidential guard. Tourists in Athens, one of the most densely populated capitals in Europe sitting on a plain flanked by mountains, sought out air-conditioned restaurants and stores, and some said they were staying inside in the middle of the day.
ACROPOLIS SHUT Authorities announced that the Acropolis, which sits on a rocky hill offering barely any shade and is Greece’s most visited ancient site, would be closed for five hours from midday on Tuesday and Wednesday, a common step when temperatures soar. The heatwave will continue until Sunday, the Greek meteorological service said. Scorching heat also gripped neighboring Bulgaria on Tuesday, with authorities urging businesses to give away water and cut physical labor during high-risk hours.
In Montenegro, major roads were congested as many rushed to the beaches to find relief from the heat. In Albania, firefighters assisted by four aircraft from Italy and Greece battled two wildfires at a national park in the north and near the southwestern village of Dukat. Last month, large parts of Western Europe sweltered in another severe heatwave that left many dead and triggered forest fires and health alerts across the region. Across the globe, 2024 was the warmest year on record, with temperatures exceeding 1.5 Celsius above the pre-industrial era for the first time. Research published last week showed that the soil surface temperature around Athens rose in some places by as much as 10 degrees Celsius since July 2024 after fires destroyed vegetation.

Pope Leo XIV urges immediate end to ‘barbarity’ of Gaza war

Pope Leo XIV urges immediate end to ‘barbarity’ of Gaza war
Updated 22 July 2025
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Pope Leo XIV urges immediate end to ‘barbarity’ of Gaza war

Pope Leo XIV urges immediate end to ‘barbarity’ of Gaza war
  • Pontiff: ‘I once again ask for an immediate end to the barbarity of the war and for a peaceful resolution to the conflict’
CASTEL GANDOLFO, Italy: Pope Leo XIV slammed the “barbarity” of the war in Gaza on Sunday and urged against the “indiscriminate use of force,” just days after a deadly strike by Israel’s military on a Catholic church.
“I once again ask for an immediate end to the barbarity of the war and for a peaceful resolution to the conflict,” Leo said at the end of the Angelus prayer, after three people were killed on Thursday at the territory’s only Catholic church.