A random question has been circulating on social media platforms for the past few months. Parents were asked, “Who would you prefer your girl child in a jungle with, a bear or a man?”

As ridiculous or unfortunate as it may sound, most people answered bear! Our surroundings are that much unsafe for our little girls.

A baby girl, who is the apple of the eyes of a family or who is too innocent or naive to know the difference among good or bad nature of humans, is the victim of brutal assaults.

Cases of rape and molestation of women have been increasing rapidly since the past few years. But the horrific incidents of assaulting girls who are just a few years or months old are traumatic to say the least. Almost every day newspapers are filled with news of such heinous crimes. Where did we fail as a nation or when did we become so inhuman? 

In 2022, there were approximately 1,500 child rape instances and at least 60 victims under the age of six, reports Ain O Shalish Kendra. A 5-year-old was raped and murdered in Narayanganj, and a 4-year-old was slain during an assault in Tangail. The human rights organisation reported that in 2023, despite stronger legislation, over 1,300 child rapes were reported, with scores of victims under the age of six, including a 5-year-old girl whose body was dumped in a sack in Dhaka. 

Preliminary data from 2024 and early 2025 show no significant decrease, with 3-5 incidents of serious sexual abuse against infants each month.

A 4-year-old was raped and murdered in Sylhet (2024), while a 3-year-old victim was discovered dead in Kishoreganj (2025). Activists believe that about 10-15% of such incidents are documented, as many families avoid legal action. The United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (Unicef) reported that only 3% child sexual abuse cases come to light due to the fear of shame and dishonour. 

A nurse (anonymous) working in a Dhaka Metropolitan hospital, said every day she finds a child aged less than aged 6 in the emergency NICU suspected of assault. Most cases, if not too serious, are not reported to the police or authorities. 

The more devastating part is, these assaults are done by either family members, teachers, neighbours or a family friend. Sometimes an infant also gets assaulted by their own brother or father. The heart wrenching part is that, just mere reading or writing of these incidents boils our blood. But this is the actual scenario and some masked monsters are doing these.

The causes of this situation might be too many, but the result is too frightening. A child doesn’t deserve such scar and trauma. Protecting children from outsiders might seem possible. Then come the close ones. How to fight a battle where we don’t know the enemy? 

It is high time all the people came forward to take part in the battle against child repression.

Implementing strict laws, creating awareness and being alert might lessen the adverse situation. Be it boy or girl, a threat to a child means a threat to the future of the nation. Destroying a life that is so precious is a crime that should be addressed with no mercy.

No mercy is shown to a victim or survivor; even a child goes through public trials. Starting from character assassination to physical pain, their misery knows no bounds. This should be the opposite. Unfortunately, the number of victims keeps increasing, and everyone treats it as mere statistics. 

Let us all come forward to battle against child abusers. Why? Because the issue that we are avoiding or giving a disdainful look toward, what is the guaranty that your child is not the next to suffer?