Public humiliation of women continues unabated

Public assaults against women across the country continue unabated, with victims being tied to trees or electric poles and subjected to medieval-style torture, sparking grave concern among human rights activists and legal experts.
While comprehensive national data on these specific acts of public humiliation remains elusive, a series of recent incidents highlights a growing trend of localised vigilante violence often fueled by personal enmity or political influence.
In the latest reported case on Saturday, a woman identified as Moni Akhter was subjected to a brutal assault in the Shabnoor Market area of Shariatpur Sadar. 
According to police, Moni – the wife of an expatriate – was lured to a neighbour's house under the guise of settling a long-standing financial dispute. Instead, she was beaten by several members of the neighbour’s family, who forcibly cut her hair and smeared her face with tar. The attackers then tied her to an electric pole, publicly labeling her a drug dealer to justify the assault. 
Police rescued the victim at approximately 11:30am and admitted her to the local Sadar hospital. 
Shah Alam, the officer-in-charge of Palang Model police station, stated that legal action would be initiated once a formal complaint is lodged.
This incident is not an isolated case. 
On the same day, a case was filed in Naogaon against six individuals, including local BNP leader Abdul Matin Mondal, for the torture of 54-year-old Hasina Banu. 
The victim alleged she was abducted from her home and tied to a tree by Mondal’s supporters after she spoke out against his conduct during a public protest. 
Meanwhile, in Shariatpur’s Zajira upazila, villagers recently reported that a middle-aged woman was tied up in broad daylight over a financial dispute involving her son. 
Despite a court case being filed, local residents claim no action has yet been taken against the primary accused, Sattar Akon.
Further incidents have been recorded throughout the year in Kurigram, Gaibandha, and even the capital’s Narda area, where a woman was tied to a pole and doused with cold water in January. 
Academics and rights defenders argue that this repetition of violence points to a systemic failure in law enforcement. 
Dr Tania Haque, a professor of Women and Gender Studies at the University of Dhaka, told the Daily Sun that such incidents persist when the state fails to provide a robust deterrent.
She noted that the current social climate has created a pervasive sense of insecurity, suggesting that the society is struggling to maintain its "human qualities."
The lack of judicial consequences is a central theme in the outcry. 
Rukhshana Afroj Asha, of the Samajtantrik Mahila Forum, pointed out that justice is elusive in the vast majority of cases, particularly when perpetrators have political ties. 
This sentiment was echoed by Supreme Court lawyer Istiak Ahmed, who stressed that only rapid trials and the swift execution of judgments would serve as an effective deterrent to potential criminals.
Broad statistics from the Bangladesh Mahila Parishad underscore the scale of the crisis. 
Between January and May this year, at least 1,035 women and girls were victims of various forms of tyranny, resulting in 266 deaths. 
The data shows a worrying monthly increase, rising from 183 cases in January to 259 in May. 
With 2,808 victims recorded throughout the previous year, rights groups are calling for urgent government intervention to strengthen the rule of law and ensure that those who take the law into their own hands are held accountable.