Over 1,660 women and girls in Bangladesh faced different forms of violence between January and July this year, local media reported on Monday, citing a rights organisation.

According to the rights body, at least 1667 females faced different crimes, including the killing of 83 girls and 258 women and the rape of 292 women.

The figures were released by a women’s rights body, Bangladesh Mohila Parishad, during a human chain outside the Jatiya Press Club in Dhaka on Sunday afternoon to protest the persistent violence, rape, murder and killing of children across the country.

Speakers at the programme expressed deep concern over the escalating violence against women, saying Bangladesh has increasingly become a “safe haven” for rape and abuse.

Addressing the gathering, Mohila Parishad president Fauzia Moslem said that an analysis of data revealed that 83 girls and 258 women were killed over the past seven months, while 31 incidents involved rape and post-rape murder.

She, however, warned that the figures might not fully reflect the actual extent of the violence, leading Bangladeshi media outlet UNB reported.

“The information we are getting has mainly been compiled from a limited number of newspaper reports, based on data from only 14 newspapers. Yet there are numerous other media outlets in the country. Had we received data from all media, the real picture of violence against women could have been far more alarming,” Moslem said, raising concerns over women’s right to live and safety in Bangladesh.

According to Mohila Parishad General Secretary Maleka Banu, 1,667 women and children were subjected to different forms of violence between January and July, with 292 women and girls among those raped.

“These incidents make it clear that women and children in Bangladesh are not fully safe anywhere today. It is not just rape or sexual violence; women and children are also falling victim to murder, torture and various other forms of violence. The most worrying part is that we are failing to bring down this trend of violence. Even children who have not yet reached physical and mental maturity, who have not yet reached an age where they identify themselves as women, are becoming victims of sexual violence,” UNB quoted Banu as saying.

The speakers stressed that entrenched patriarchal attitudes and discriminatory social norms in the country failed to treat women with dignity. They called for a broader social movement, stronger enforcement of laws, and effective oversight to prevent ongoing violence, rape, murder and killing of children.

They further urged the Bangladeshi authorities to govern the country with patriotism, humanity and responsibility to restore human rights that have been violated.

Tehran, Aug 16: The Iranian Intelligence Ministry warned the French government against “illegal interference” in Iran’s internal affairs.

In a statement on its website, the ministry said on Saturday that two French diplomats took part in a secret meeting in Tehran in July with suspects of a “major case involving foreign infiltration and interference.”

Following an investigation, it said the diplomats had “extensive records of violations and behaviors in contradiction with Iran’s domestic law and their diplomatic obligations.”

The ministry stressed it will not allow foreign diplomats in Iran to engage in “illegal interventionist” actions, warning that any repeat of such conduct would draw “fitting” responses, Xinhua news agency reported.

On July 20, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said two French embassy officials had been detained and mistreated in Tehran.

Both were “detained for several hours without reason, interrogated, and one of them was physically abused” before they were able to return to the embassy, he said.

They were now safe and expected to return to France within hours, Barrot added.

“The assault is all the more shocking given these two officials oversee our programmes supporting civil society, particularly Iranian artists and scientists,” he said.

In a statement, he called the incident “shocking,” adding he had warned Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi that the “serious and unacceptable” incident “cannot go without consequences”.

Araghchi later protested in a phone call with Barrot, saying the two French diplomats’ “unconventional” actions “contradicted diplomatic norms and were unacceptable.”

United Nations, Aug 13: The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) and its partners continue to support the government-led response to the devastating earthquake in Colombia, said the office.

Widespread damage to homes and public infrastructure has also been reported, OCHA said in its daily news update.

Humanitarian assessments are ongoing, particularly in the hardest-hit areas, where disruptions to communications, transport and public services continue to hinder relief efforts. Emergency shelter, food assistance, access to safe drinking water and health care for affected communities are among the top priorities, the office said.

The United Nations and its partners are also mobilising resources. The World Food Programme is sending food, while the World Health Organization is dispatching medical supplies from its warehouses in the country, OCHA said.

Farhan Haq, deputy spokesperson for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, said Wednesday that an allocation from the UN Central Emergency Response Fund is in the works.

The United Nations will launch an appeal for quake relief in Colombia once information is available about the extent of damage, said Haq, noting that the needs are expected to be very severe, Xinhua news agency reported.

The death toll from Monday’s earthquake in Colombia has risen to 265, with 3,494 people injured and 496 still missing, Colombian President Abelardo de la Espriella said Wednesday.

The president said more than 53,000 people had been affected by the disaster.

He said he would declare a state of economic emergency to speed up assistance to those affected, saying the government’s efforts remain focused on searching for the missing.

Earlier on Aug 11, External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar had extended condolences to Omar Bula Escobar, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Colombia, on the devastating earthquake in the South American nation.

“Deeply saddened by the tragic loss of lives and the destruction caused by the earthquake in Colombia. Extend heartfelt condolences to the families who have lost their loved ones. Also pray for the swift recovery to those injured. India stands ready to extend all possible assistance,” EAM Jaishankar wrote on X.