Female protesters, AL activists subjected to sexual violence: UN
A fact-finding report by the United Nations has shed light on cases of sexual violence targeting both protesters and the supporters of the Awami League during the July mass uprising in Bangladesh.
The UN Human Rights Office (OHCHR) released a report on human rights violations and abuses related to the uprising in Geneva earlier today.
For all latest news, follow The Daily Star's Google News channel. The report said both protesters, before the fall of the Awami League regime last year, and the ousted ruling party supporters after the fall, faced threats of sexual violence.
One such case of apparent revenge violence documented by OHCHR, and based on victim testimony, involved sexual violence, said the report.
"In August, a woman was intercepted by two men who appeared different from students based on their age and attire. They recognised her as being part of the Chhatra League. The men insulted her with comments of a sexual nature, grabbed her dress, slapped her face multiple times and punched her chest," the report said.
"A second, more severe attack a few days later against the same woman commenced in a similar manner. The attackers encircled her, ripped her clothes, groped her breasts and intimate parts, and ultimately raped her," it added.
Subsequently, the victim was denied health care at a hospital due to her political affiliation, said the report.
In other cases, female Awami League and Chhatra League supporters received threats of rape, conveyed verbally and on social media.
For the reasons noted above, OHCHR considers it likely that substantially more cases of sexual violence occurred than OHCHR could document, according to the report.
It also said in the aftermath of the protests, some women who had held leadership positions or had visible profiles reported threats or feared reprisals, leading them to cover their faces and hair in an attempt to disguise their identities.
It also mentioned having been at the forefront of the early protests in particular, women and girls were also attacked by security forces and Awami League supporters.
They were specifically subjected to sexual and gender-based violence, including gender-based physical violence, threats of rape and, in some documented cases, sexual assault perpetrated by Awami League supporters.
Given social and cultural sensitivities and the significant under-reporting of sexual and gender-based violence in Bangladesh, OHCHR said further in-depth investigations are required to ascertain the full scope and impact of such acts and to provide the required support to victims, said the report.
Comments