March for Justice: Women take to the streets amid surge in Gender-Based Violence
The event is organised independently by a collective of women with no political or institutional affiliation, the march seeks to demand visibility, safety, and justice for women and marginalised communities in public and private spaces alike
A coalition of over 49 progressive women's, workers', cultural, student, and professional organisations came together on 15 May at Sagar-Runi Auditorium to declare solidarity with the "Narir Dake Maitree Jatra"—a historic procession scheduled to take place on 16 May 2025, at 3 PM on Manik Mia Avenue in Dhaka.
The event, called by women and led by women from across different classes, professions, ideologies, and political affiliations, aims to serve as a defining moment in Bangladesh's post-July women's movement.
The event is organised independently by a collective of women with no political or institutional affiliation, the march seeks to demand visibility, safety, and justice for women and marginalised communities in public and private spaces alike.
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Speaking on behalf of the alliance, organisers pointed to the growing exclusion of women from mass movements and public spaces since the July-August 2024 uprising. Despite their frontline role in that movement—which claimed the lives of Nafisa, Rita Akhter, Gopi Roy, and Naima Sultana—women have since faced heightened patriarchal backlash, both socially and institutionally.
The coalition drew attention to a series of alarming incidents:
Since 27 August, 2024, sex workers in various regions have come under attack. Left out of both economic protections and social safety nets, these women are doubly victimised—first by commodification and then by state neglect.
In Rangpur, Joypurhat, and Dinajpur, mob attacks under the banner of 'Towhidi Janata' attempted to halt women's participation in football matches. While the interim government rescheduled a few games, no attackers have been brought to justice.
In Kurigram, a female student was kidnapped and forcibly converted, yet authorities took no steps to investigate or prosecute the culprits.
On 21 January, a mob in Moralganj, Sylhet attacked a group of students at a resort, forced couples into marriage, vandalised the property, and set it ablaze. No legal action followed.
On 13 May, in the Chittagong Hill Tracts, a woman jumped from a CNG to escape harassment on KK Roy Road but was then beaten by a mob. The army protected the perpetrator rather than the victim.
Chingma Khiang, a hill housewife, was raped and murdered on 5 May in Bandarban, yet the suspects remain at large, and the autopsy report is still pending after 10 days. The coalition denounced the ongoing state repression of the Bam and Khiang communities.
At Chittagong University, female students resisting an attack on their dorm were expelled, while the proctor made sexually inappropriate comments and remained unpunished.
In Kurigram, a college teacher faced harassment and public shaming for commenting on the veil.
In Munshiganj, two young women were beaten with belts by a mob on a launch.
Speaking ahead of the upcoming march, Taslima Akhter, President of Bangladesh Garment Sramik Samhati, stressed the importance of structural change:
"The rate of harassment has increased, and the state must take necessary measures to address it. We finally have a space where we can raise our voices about these issues, but real change takes time. We need to stop portraying women as objects in Bangladeshi media and literature—these representations shape public perception and reinforce harmful mindsets," she said.
"Our laws promise equal rights for men and women, yet women in this country still struggle to live as equal citizens, free from fear. We need a shift in collective mentality. The way the Women Reform Commissioner was treated is unacceptable. With the march on 16 May approaching, everyone should come forward and join this cause."
For years, slogans like "Stop Violence Against Women" or "Violence is a Violation of Human Rights" have become background noise in a society where women still fear retribution for simply existing.
Unless the state, media, and society shift their focus from blaming the victim to punishing the perpetrator, the cycle of violence will continue. The march may not offer a permanent solution but it is a collective refusal to stay silent.
The press conference closed with a united call to action: "Women's liberation cannot be separated from the broader political and economic liberation of all people. Our struggles are shared. Our freedom is collective."
Among the 49 signatory organizations present at the press conference were: the Bangladesh Students Union, Democratic Student Council, Garment Workers Unity Forum ,Udichi, Tea Workers' Ten-Point Implementation Committee and Bangladesh Theater.
Others included cultural bodies, leftist student groups, women's rights platforms, and regional activist coalitions.
