Incidents of sexual violence against minors have risen sharply during the 2nd quarter of 2019, according to a recent report by rights body Bangladesh Shishu Adhikar Forum (BSAF).
At least 164 children were raped in the first quarter of the current year. However, the incidents of such heinous crimes shot up twice the number within the next three months - making it to a staggering 332 rape incidents from March to June this year, it said in a statement.
The BSAF report, released on Monday, had been based on incidents reported in 15 national dailies in 2019.
The report suggests that at least 496 children were raped in the first six months of the current year, with an average of 82 incidents of rape against children in a given month.
The study, however, did not categorise the number of boys or girls who were rape victims.
The country has seen 41% increase of rape incidents in the first six month of current year, in comparison between the months of Jan-June, 2018 and Jan-Jun, 2019, according to BSAF.
In the first six months of the current year, the number of rape incidents is 496. It was 351 during the corresponding period of the previous year.
Among the 496 rape incidents, 53 were gang rapes, 27 were physically challenged children, and 23 children were murdered after they had been raped.
The report said a total of 2,158 children have been subjected to various types of violence including incidents of murder, rape, incest, and torture during the time.
Among them 988 children died from abnormal causes and 726 children experienced sexual abuse and exploitation.
A total of 205 children were killed, 93 children committed suicide, 286 died from road accidents and 194 children died of drowning.
At least 120 children were kidnapped, among them 61 children were rescued later.
On the other hand, 72 children have gone missing in 2019 among them 24 children were found murdered after they had gone missing.
At least 27 children have been victims of corporal punishment this year, the report reads.