Bangladesh information minister blames pornography for rising rape cases

Pornography is one of the key reasons behind a rise in the number of rape incidents in Bangladesh, according to Hasan Mahmud.

The government has blocked the pornography websites, but the young men can access those easily by using other sites, the information minister said at a discussion at the National Press Club in Dhaka on Sunday amid protests against sexual violence.

“It is a different sort of entertainment which goes against Bangladeshi values,” he said.

“Our boys and girls watch these and get influenced. This is a key reason behind the incidents (of sexual violence) that are happening now,” he added.

The government has moved to raise the maximum punishment for rape to death penalty, but the minister believes toughening the law alone will not be the ultimate solution to the menace.

“We need to change our mindset for that to happen,” he said.