Two men were accused of raping two women in a Dhaka hotel in 2017, while three others were accused of assisting in the assault. Last week, all five were acquitted, with the presiding judge citing a lack of evidence. He also questioned why the victims waited a month to report the crime. Protests erupted in response to the verdict, as well as the judge's remarks seeming to at least partly blame the victims. Activists have repeatedly held protests calling for the government to address an alarming rise in sexual violence against women and girls. In Bangladesh, the conviction rate for rape is below 1 percent. Despite the judge's comments, there are no time limits for investigating rape cases in Bangladesh (side note: the judge was suspended following his remarks, which the country's Law Minister called "absolutely unlawful and illegal"). But what is clear is that it is already nearly impossible to obtain justice for rape in Bangladesh, and rulings such as this one can only further discourage others from coming forward. The government should listen to women’s rights activists and legal experts who for years have been calling for serious reform to address Bangladesh’s rape problem and ensure that the justice system is a safe place for survivors of sexual violence. | 
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