State patronage emboldens rapists: CPB

The Communist Party of Bangladesh (CPB) says gang rapes are taking place because sexual offenders are managing to get away with the crime. The party issued a statement on Saturday following the rape of a Garo girl in a running microbus.

A group of young men dragged the girl inside the microbus while she was on her way home after work and raped her on Thursday night.
 
Several incidents of rape and sexual assault are taking place, but not a single offender has been arrested so far, the party said.   
 
 CPB President Mujahidul Islam Selim and General Secretary Syed Abu Zafar Ahmed in the statement said such incidents was recurring due to the failure of the government to take action against the offenders.
 
Thursday night’s incident at Kuril Biswa Road happened amid an outcry over failing to arrest anyone in connection with the sexual assaults on several women on the Dhaka University campus last month.
 
The CPB also claimed that the police assault on those protesting against the DU incident and the police chief’s remark terming sexual assault as “naughty act” only encourage the offenders.

The rapists had ‘become reckless’ due to the patronage of the State, CPB said adding that the people should be united to fight against the sexual assaults as the government was ‘indifferent’ to the issue.