On February 12, Bangladesh will hold its first general elections since the country’s August 2024 monsoon revolution. However, before the elections, attacks on women, girls, and religious minorities are increasing, showing that the current government is not doing enough to protect basic human rights.
Police data shows that violence against women went up between January and June 2025 compared to the same period in 2024. Dr. Fauzia Moslem, president of the Bangladesh Mahila Parishad (Women’s Council of Bangladesh or BMP), says this increase is because religious groups are becoming more active and using language that tries to limit what women can do and where they can go. In May 2025,groups opposing women’s rights threatened activists who were speaking out for equality.
