Published: 12:25 AM, 24 May 2026
Ramisa and Our Moral Collapse As A Civilized Society
Raghu Nath Raha
The progress of a country is measured neither by its GDP nor by its mega-infrastructures. Rather, the sole yardstick of how humane a society is relying entirely on how safe its most vulnerable and innocent children are within it. Today, as we look at Bangladesh, a specific and harsh question shakes the very core of our existence: How far can we genuinely claim to be civilized human beings?
The sheer brutality of child abuse, rape, and murder that we are witnessing across the country in recent times is not a series of isolated crimes. It serves as proof that while we may be modern in our attire or technology, psychologically, we are still living in a dark, prehistoric era.
Ramisa of Mirpur: A Monument to Our Collective Shame
The horrific and barbaric murder of 8-year-old child Ramisa Akter in Mirpur, Dhaka, is not just a standard entry in a criminal record. It stands as a living document of our society's moral bankruptcy. When an innocent life like Ramisa’s is crushed by ruthless lust and cruelty, the so-called "civilization" of those of us who claim to be a progressive society- while stirring up storms over morning tea cups- is revealed to be nothing but a massive hypocrisy.
If we were truly human, Ramisa's departure would have robbed us of our night's sleep. Instead, we have become so desensitized that these brutalities are now reduced to mere "news items" on a newspaper page or a Facebook screen.
A Grim Reality: The Recurrence of Violence
The tragedy in Mirpur mirrors a terrifyingly familiar pattern across Bangladesh. Analyzing statistics from various human rights organizations reveals that the brutality of violence against children is increasing at a geometric rate. From remote villages to densely populated megacities like the capital, Dhaka, children everywhere are suffering from extreme insecurity today.
A specific and terrifying pattern can be observed behind these crimes:
· Exploiting Vulnerability: Perpetrators typically target children from low-income or working-class families whose parents must stay out for a living, leaving no robust security measures for the children.
· Barbaric Abuse: Children are first subjected to extreme physical and sexual assault.
· Murder to Erase Evidence: To cover up their crimes and evade the clutches of law, perpetrators ultimately do not hesitate to murder the innocent child in cold blood.
When a society reaches a stage where children are viewed as easy prey and killing a child is chosen as the easiest path to hide one's crime, it must be understood that the social and moral fabric of that society has completely collapsed.
The Enemy Within: Where Trust Becomes the Ultimate Trap
We often mask our conscience under the guise of civilization, deflecting all blame onto some invisible "outside monster" or an "unfamiliar criminal" to console ourselves. However, reality delivers a sharp slap to our faces.
According to statistics and criminological research, approximately 60% to 65% of child rape cases are perpetrated by individuals well-known to the victim, including neighbors or close relatives.
The terrifying truth is that a major portion of the primary predators hunting these children are the very people whom society recognizes as "gentle," "educated," or "trusted relatives". When innocent children are brutally abused by the tutor to whom the child was entrusted in absolute faith, by the uncle in whose lap the child laughed peacefully, or by the neighbor who stands before the child every day with chocolates in hand, a haunting question arises: Is masking the beast inside these familiar faces what we call civilization?
This extreme betrayal by familiar people proves how deeply rotted our families and society have become from within. When these known individuals end up suffocating or beating an innocent child to death just to hide their crimes, our very identity as "humans" is cast into shame.
Obstacles to Good Governance: Why Does This Brutality Persist?
To overcome this crisis, we must first understand the structural vulnerabilities that allow perpetrators to escape and cause such crimes to recur repeatedly:
1. A Culture of Impunity and Prolonged Trials
Although the law prescribes the highest punishments for child rape and murder, in reality, the judicial process takes years to reach a final verdict. Exploiting the delays in trials, influential criminals frequently intimidate witnesses, destroy evidence, or secure release on bail. Consequently, the victimized families live out their days in extreme insecurity and isolation.
2. Social Stigma and Victim Blaming
A major superstition deeply embedded in our society is that instead of socially boycotting the criminal, the victimized child or their family is often dragged into the dock of shame. Fearing this social slander, many families are afraid to take legal action or raise their voices from the very beginning, which makes the perpetrators even more audacious.
3. Lack of Institutional and Social Protection
Densely populated areas like Mirpur are growing larger by the day, yet no safe social environment or neighborhood-based surveillance systems have been developed for children. Working-class parents are forced to leave their children unprotected while they go to work, and predators lurking in the nooks and crannies of society take full advantage of this gap.
Our 'Three-Day Conscience' and Social Hypocrisy
Another glaring proof of our lack of civilization is our "short-term memory syndrome," or fleeting empathy. When an incident like that of Mirpur's Ramisa comes to light, we post statuses on Facebook, use hashtags, and speak grand words on talk shows. Yet, exactly three to four days later, when a new political issue or entertainment news surfaces, we completely forget about the Ramisas.
Our three-day conscience only makes criminals bolder. They know very well that "the public will scream for a few days and then surely forget". Can this apathy and culture of forgetting ever be the trait of a civilized people?
The Tyranny of Power and the Vicious Cycle of Impunity
When a perpetrator happens to be a familiar person or a relative, a strange silence engulfs society. If the criminal is financially well-off or politically influential, attempts are made overnight to alter the direction of the case. Influence is exerted to obstruct police investigations, and witnesses are silenced using the power of money. Meanwhile, the people around them shut their eyes and ears simply to "avoid trouble".
In a civilized society, a criminal's sole identity should be that they are a "criminal". However, we have built such an uncivilized society where the speed of justice is determined by the backing and influence a criminal possesses.
Why Have We Failed as Civilized Human Beings?
We cannot claim to be civilized because:
· We Protect the Criminal: If a relative or an acquaintance commits this heinous crime, our society prioritizes "family honor" above all else. Protecting the honor of a criminal relative becomes more important to us than the tears of the victimized child.
· We Indulge in Victim Blaming: When the so-called educated people of society raise twisted questions about what an 8-year-old child was wearing or why she went out alone, it indicates that our collective conscience has become paralyzed.
· Our Institutional Failure: When criminals walk free on bail for years due to legal loopholes, it proves that as a state and a society, we are incapable of providing even the bare minimum protection to our children.
How We Must Hold Ourselves Accountable as Humans
If we truly want to stand tall as civilized human beings, we must shed our hypocritical shells and fulfill certain specific responsibilities:
· Breaking Taboos and Silence (No Leniency, Even for Relatives): Prioritizing humanity over relationships is our foremost duty. No matter if the criminal is one's own brother, uncle, maternal uncle, or a close friend—he is a rapist and a murderer. Attempting to shield him is an equal crime, and we must shatter this social taboo.
· Boycotting the Influential and Ensuring Punishment: Regardless of the criminal's social or economic status, no social leniency should be extended to them. The entire society must unite to ensure they face strict legal and social consequences.
· Listening to the Child and Providing Psychological Protection: Children must be given clear, age-appropriate education regarding bodily autonomy and safety (Good Touch & Bad Touch) from an early age. If a child expresses even the slightest reluctance, discomfort, or fear toward a known individual, it must never be laughed off; rather, it must be investigated with utmost seriousness.
Final Words: Looking at Our Faces in the Mirror
Ramisa of Mirpur has left us. Before her departure, she exposed the barbaric reality hiding beneath our so-called civilized society. This stain cannot be covered up by high-rise buildings, metro rails, or economic advancement.
Let us look inward before making grand claims about civilization. Only on the day when our children are safe from the lustful eyes of familiar faces, and when the lifeless bodies of the Ramisas are no longer found dumped in drains or abandoned rooms due to a relative's depravity- only then will we earn the right to call ourselves "civilized". Until then, we are all indirect accomplices and absolute perpetrators of these crimes.
Raghu Nath Raha is a development
professional and a researcher.
