Social Welfare Adviser Sharmin S Murshid visited Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH) on Saturday, March 8, to check on the condition of an eight-year-old girl raped in Magura.

Arriving at the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (ICU) around 1:00pm, she stayed until approximately 2:30pm to assess the child’s situation first-hand.

Speaking to reporters afterward, Murshid expressed profound grief and anger. “How can anyone harm a girl who is not yet a girl, a woman who is not yet a woman?” she asked.

“This country has become a land of cowards, where an eight-year-old child is violated by cowardly hyenas roaming freely. It is your responsibility to stop this. Do you think this society is healthy? The doctors don’t even know if they can save her. I will do everything in my power to ensure this child gets the highest justice. The doctors are doing their utmost—you must pray she survives.”

Reflecting on decades of similar tragedies, she added, “For 35 years, I’ve seen these incidents repeat over and over. This cannot go on. The evidence in this child’s case is undeniable. We will not let it go unpunished—the culprits must face justice.”