© Prothom Alo Trust

Acid violence is prevalent in Bangladesh with perpetrators throwing acid at the faces and/or bodies of victims. Although these latter are predominantly young women, there have been acid attacks on older women, hildren and even men in recent years. These attacks frequently are the result of disputes involving money, land and dowries. They are often revenge for romantic rejection.

On April 24, 2014, an eight-storied garment factory collapsed in Bangladesh, leading to the death of more than one thousand people.

Women Talk Online blogger Aziza Ahmed wasn’t yet born when Bangladesh gained independence after the bloody Liberation War against Pakistan. But the stories she heard convinced her that nothing but death will do for those convicted of war crimes.

In Bangladesh the existing legal frame work that supports a rape victim is very limited and outdated. The definition of rape itself dates back to the national penal code formulated in 1860. Now, more than 150 years later, what are the problems a victim faces and where can she seek help? Aziza Ahmed finds out.

The Viqarunnisa Noon School is one of the most prestigious and well-known educational institution for girls in Bangladesh. In July 2011, the school witnessed an incident of rape. According to reports, Parimal Jaydhar, a teacher at this school, had been harassing a student sexually and blackmailing her when she went to his house for private tuitions. He recorded these instances on video and also threatened to post these videos on the internet if she were to go and report his abuse to the police. However, the girl decided to complain to her parents, following which her father filed a case against the teacher.

Rumana Manzur, a graduate of Dhaka University, was doing her post-graduation as a Fulbright scholar in the University of British Columbia. In June 2011, she returned to Bangladesh to visit her five-year-old daughter Anushey and husband, Syed. But Syed was not very happy with his wife’s choices.

Infolady – the short form for “information lady” is a revolutionary concept that has provided thousands of Bangladeshi women the much-desired freedom and chance to use modern technologies. The infolady project is one of the winners in the Deutsche Welle Bobs awards for the category, “Global Media Forum Award.”