UNICEF Outraged over Surge in Violence against Children

UNICEF Representative in Bangladesh Rana Flowers has issued a powerful call to action, declaring that the horrific brutality against children sweeping across the country must come to an immediate end. 

The statement follows a wave of deep shock and sadness over recent reports of savage violence, rape, and murder targeting young girls and boys in spaces where they should have been completely safe.

"Every child has the right to protection everywhere, in communities, schools, at home, and even in how their stories and images are treated in public spaces," Flowers stressed in her official statement while conveying sincere condolences to all the affected families.

The UN official highlighted that the sharp rise in brutal and sexual violence against women and children throughout 2026 underscores an urgent need for swift action. 

She insisted on strengthening child and gender-based violence (GBV) protection frameworks and preventative measures nationwide. 

Flowers further emphasized that the persistent "culture of impunity enjoyed by perpetrators must end," calling for immediate fixes to systemic vulnerabilities across prevention, reporting, institutional safeguarding, child-friendly policing, justice systems, community protection, and social services.

Additionally, the UNICEF representative advocated for extensive psychosocial support for victims and demanded far stronger accountability across schools, madrasas, workplaces, neighborhoods, and care settings. 

Warning that "violence spreads when communities stay silent," Flowers appealed directly to the public, women, families, and community leaders to report any signs of abuse or exploitation using existing services like the Child Helpline 1098.

Flowers also raised serious concerns regarding the secondary trauma inflicted on victims through the digital space. 

"The sharing of photos, videos or identifying personal details represents a further abuse of each of them," she warned, adding that anyone sharing or resharing such material adds directly to the trauma of survivors, the grief of families and disrespects the victims.

She urged the general public, media outlets, and social media users to respect privacy rights and instead redirect their energy into calling for systemic legal protections and an end to perpetrator impunity.

The international outcry coincides with a wave of street demonstrations. 

On Friday, residents and human rights activists gathered in Dhaka’s Pallabi and various parts of the city to demand justice for Ramisa Akhter, an eight-year-old second-grade schoolgirl who was allegedly raped, murdered, and beheaded by her neighbor, Sohel Rana, on May 19.

Local human rights organization Ain o Salish Kendra (ASK) joined UNICEF in expressing profound concern over the escalating violence, stating that Ramisa's gruesome murder has once again exposed severe fractures in the state's child protection framework. 

According to data compiled by ASK, the current year has seen an alarming surge in violence; between January and May 20, 2026, at least 118 children have been raped, 46 others survived attempted rape, and at least 17 children were brutally killed following sexual assaults. 

In its closing brief, ASK declared that these horrific incidents are not isolated criminal acts, but rather symptoms of a profound failure in state protection mechanisms and a widespread crisis of social accountability.

With Inputs from UNB