From Ramisa’s murder to general violence: Has violence in society reached ‘pandemic levels’?

Special Correspondent

The rape, murder and mutilation of seven-year-old Ramisa Akhter in Dhaka’s Pallabi has sparked outrage, grief and concern across the country. However, experts say the incident is not an isolated crime; rather, it is part of a larger picture of increasing violence against children, women and the general public. In their words, violence in the country has reached a level that has taken the form of a ‘pandemic-level social crisis’.

 

According to police and family sources, Ramisa was supposed to go to school with her elder sister on the morning of May 19. But when she could not be found at the appointed time, the family members started searching. At one point, her mother saw one of the child’s shoes in front of the door of the next-door flat. Accused Sohel Rana and Ramisa’s family lived in the flat together. When suspicion arose after there was no response to the door for a long time, the police were informed. Later, the police broke the door and entered inside and recovered the child’s body from the bedroom and severed body parts from the bathroom.

 

Amidst the nationwide debate surrounding this incident, statistics from human rights organizations are painting an even more alarming picture of violence. According to the Ain O Salish Kendra (ASK), 118 children were raped between January 1 and May 20 of this year. Of these, 14 were killed after being raped, and three more children died in attempted rape incidents. During the same period, 115 children were killed in various incidents.

 

According to the Human Rights Support Society (HRSS), 1,890 children were subjected to various forms of abuse in the country from January 2025 to April 2026. Of these, 483 died. In the first four months of this year alone, 519 children were subjected to abuse, of which 195 lost their lives.

 

On the other hand, according to data from the human rights organization Odhikar, 281 people were killed in political violence, 153 in lynchings, and 40 in extrajudicial killings from August 2024 to September 2025.

 

According to experts, this violence is not only driven by personal criminal tendencies, but also by deep social and psychological crises. Dr. Shahana Parveen, associate professor at the National Institute of Mental Health, said that the tendency to seek revenge and show power is gradually becoming normal behavior in society. Criminals or violent people are often presented as heroes in social media, the entertainment world, or political reality, which creates a desire to abuse power in others. According to her, many criminals seek distorted mental satisfaction through torture and cruelty to cover up their own inferiority or frustration.

 

Dr. Touhidul Haque, associate professor and crime analyst at the Institute of Social Welfare and Research, Dhaka University, believes that long-term social unrest and uncertainty have reduced people’s tolerance. He said that in recent times, the employment crisis in various sectors, the increase in the cost of living and uncertainty about the future have increased anger and frustration among people. At the same time, the weakness of the state and social institutions in controlling inequalities in social status, money and power is further inciting conflict among people.

 

Monira Rahman, Country Lead of Mental Health First Bangladesh, warns that violence is gradually becoming ‘normalized’ in society. According to her, if crimes are not effectively prosecuted and social resistance is weak, people gradually start accepting these incidents as everyday reality. This silent acceptance emboldens criminals.

 

Similar concerns have been expressed by Dr. SM Yasin Arafat, a mental health specialist at Bangladesh Specialized Hospital. He said that the level of violence that people have witnessed in recent years has reduced fear and social sensitivity to a great extent. The long-standing culture of impunity has also encouraged criminality. As a result, many people believe that if they have money or influence, it is possible to avoid the punishment of the law.

 

Citing Russian psychologist Uri Bronfenbrenner’s ‘Ecological Systems Theory’, he said that when moral and human values ​​deteriorate at all levels – family, educational institutions, social environment and state structures – violence increases in society. Therefore, positive changes are needed at every level of the social system, not just law enforcement.

 

Retired Senior District and Sessions Judge Fauzul Azim has blamed the lengthy judicial process as another important reason for the increase in crime. According to him, as the judicial process of a case takes 25 to 30 years to complete, criminals do not get the message of punishment quickly. As a result, the fear of punishment also decreases. Although the verdict is quick in many of the cases discussed, it takes a long time to be implemented, which does not create the desired deterrent effect in the society.

 

To address this situation, experts have emphasized on speeding up the judicial system as well as social reconstruction. According to Fauzul Azim, a goal should be set to complete the entire judicial process, from the trial court to the Appellate Division, within three years.

 

On the other hand, Dr. Touhidul Haque and Monira Rahman believe that this crisis cannot be solved through law enforcement alone unless the practice of morality, compassion and human values ​​is strengthened in families, educational institutions, communities and religious institutions. They also called for reducing social inequality, expanding mental health services and taking effective action against speech that incites violence on digital platforms.

 

According to experts, a tragic incident like Ramisa’s is not just a family tragedy; it is a manifestation of a deep-seated societal crisis of violence, discrimination, injustice, and values. Without coordinated social, legal, and policy initiatives to address this crisis, long-term improvement is not possible.