30 June, 2025:
The horrific rape of a Hindu woman in Bangladesh’s Cumilla district last week has sparked widespread anger and sorrow across the country. Outrage intensified on Sunday when a disturbing video of the assault appeared on social media. In Dhaka, hundreds of students from the University of Dhaka marched in the streets, demanding immediate justice and decisive action against those responsible.
Police have arrested five people related to the brutal assault, including the main suspect, Fazor Ali, a local politician linked to the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP). Cumilla district police chief Nazir Ahmed Khan confirmed that Fazor Ali was captured during a predawn raid in Dhaka’s Sayedabad area. The other four were detained for sharing the victim’s image and identity on social media. This act violated her privacy and dignity.
According to police, the survivor's husband worked in Dubai and was visiting her paternal home in Cumilla's Muradnagar sub-district with their children for the local festival, Hari Seva. On July 16, Ali, a resident of Ramchandrapur Pachkitta village, allegedly broke into the house around 10 p.m. and assaulted her.
The brutal rape in Cumilla has triggered protests throughout Bangladesh. At Dhaka University, students marched in solidarity, denouncing the assault and demanding swift justice. At Jagannath Hall, a dormitory that houses minority students, residents held candlelight vigils, calling for accountability and better protection for vulnerable communities.
Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, Secretary General of former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia’s Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), has demanded tough punishment for those involved in the attack.
Meanwhile, the High Court has intervened, ordering authorities to remove the viral video of the incident from social media right away. A two-judge bench also instructed officials to ensure the survivor’s safety and provide her with all necessary medical care and support.
Sajeeb Ahmed Wazed, son and advisor to ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, expressed his outrage over the incident on social media. He blamed the interim government, led by Muhammad Yunus, for the rise in mob violence, terrorism, and sexual assaults over the past 11 months.
Since the fall of Sheikh Hasina’s Awami League government in August last year, attacks against minority communities in Bangladesh have become noticeably more frequent and violent. The Cumilla rape has turned into a focal point in this alarming trend, highlighting serious flaws in law and order and prompting urgent calls for accountability and reform.
