20-year-old man raped in N’ganj:

Staff correspondent:

A 20-year-old man was allegedly raped after he was lured in by a neighbour in the Shahi Mosque Palli Bidyut Road area of Bandar Upazila, Narayanganj.

The incident, which took place on Saturday (8 March), sparked a ton of discussion.

The victim’s mother filed a case with Bandar Police Station last night (11 March).

Bandar Police Station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Tarikul Islam said, “A case has been filed in connection with the incident. We are making efforts to arrest the suspect named Sayeed.”

When the victim informed his family, his mother filed the case.

The case, meanwhile, has been filed under Section 377 of the Penal Code,1860, the OC said.

This means the case status is one of sodomy, not rape.

But why?

COLONIAL-ERA LAWS STILL REMAIN

Male victims can file a case under section 377 of the Penal Code in case of rape of men by other men.

The prohibition against “carnal intercourse against the order of nature”, which encompasses sodomy, is found in Section 377A of the Penal Code.

In Bangladesh, rape is only recognised when the victim is a woman.

According to section 375 of the Penal Code of 1860, only rape of women by men has been made a punishable offence.

Male children under 16, however, can approach the Nari O Shishu Nirjatan Daman Ain of 2000.

At a time when the interim government is quickly adapting to changing situations and revising the relevant laws, the one concerning rape of men is still missing.

Speaking to The Business Standard, Supreme Court lawyer and human rights activist Barrister Jyotirmoy Barua said when compared, sodomy charges faced less severe punishment than cases of rape.

“Under section 375, there is 10-years to life imprisonment,” he said.

On the other hand, rape comes with capital punishment or life imprisonment.

But the seriousness of the punishment also affects how such cases are handled.

ANOTHER DEARTH OF DATA

Credible data on incidents of male rape is also hard to come by.

But scant data is available, which can be used to gauge the possible extent.

A 2013 survey titled by the United Nations showed that 3.7% in rural Bangladesh had raped at least another man.

Data from a few years later by Ain O Salish Kendra, showed that 20 boys had endured sexual harassment from January to September of 2020.

Experts say the dearth of data stems from cultural stigmas and underreporting.

Some say men are less prone to report such incidents as a side effect of masculinity.

HOW DOES THE WORLD SEE MALE RAPE?

The United Nations recognises rape as a crime regardless of gender under international human rights laws.

The International Criminal Court (ICC) also defines rape as gender-neutral, meaning men can be both victims and perpetrators.

This definition is shared by the US, although some states term it “sexual assault” instead of “male rape”.

Canada, on the other hand, uses the term sexual assault, instead of rape, for all genders.

Most of Europe also criminalises male rape under gender-neutral rape laws.

Closer to home, India does not recognise male rape, but tries cases under the “unnatural offenses” law, the same as Bangladesh.