Crowds of protesters take to the streets in the Bangladeshi capital, Dhaka, demanding the government ensure equal rights for women amid a rise in violence against them.
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00:00Holding burning torches, crowds of students march in the Bangladeshi capital Dhaka, calling
00:09on the government to act against a dramatic surge in violence against women.
00:16According to the United Nations, at least half of all women in the country face physical
00:20or sexual violence from men during their lifetimes.
00:24Protesters say they had hoped a student-led nationwide revolution that ousted the South
00:28Asian country's autocratic leader Sheikh Hasina in August would have improved the situation.
00:58After Hasina fled the country, Nobel Peace Prize winner Muhammad Yunus was appointed
01:09to lead a temporary administration with the goal of restoring democratic institutions.
01:17But in the months since Yunus took the top job, there's been a significant rise in violence
01:21against women.
01:22The case is increasing by 25 per cent in September compared to previous months, according to
01:30women's rights organisation Bangladesh Mahalia Parishad.
01:36Protesters haven't laid out how they want the government to tackle the issue, but are
01:39demanding equal rights for men and women.
01:42Transgender women are also joining the action.
02:01Homosexuality is criminalised in Bangladesh, sidelining members of the LGBTQ plus community
02:07from education, employment and other human rights.
02:11Even right-wing political parties that have spearheaded anti-trans and anti-LGBTQ plus
02:16movements have moved to align themselves with the newly formed interim government, prompting
02:21fears of increased hate and violence towards the group.
02:50A call for concrete change, as the interim government works on restoring order in Bangladesh.
02:56The caretaker administration says that goal will take some time, but as they grapple with
03:00re-establishing the country, demonstrators here are pushing for equal rights and protections
03:05for all citizens to be a top priority.
03:09Dolphine Chen and Rosie Greninger for Taiwan Plus.