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“Raped”: Legal language evolved, media still lag behind — Dismislab
“Raped”

Legal language evolved, media
still lag behind

Word changed in law. Five years later, Dismislab found it still embedded across Bangladeshi news reporting.

Noshin Tabassum ASM Ferdous Rahman

In multiple reports published in Bangladeshi media in 2025, those who were subjected to rape were introduced in the headlines as a “raped teenager” (Dhorshita Kishori) or “raped woman” (Dhorshita Nari). In one report, a mother was introduced as “mother of the raped” (Dhorshitar Ma). Victims are being identified only by the crimes committed against them.

The word “Dhorshita” (a stigmatizing term for a female rape victim) was replaced by “dhorshoner shikar” (subjected to rape) in the Women and Children Repression Prevention Act (Nari O Shishu Nirjatan Daman Ain) by amending it five years ago. Despite the law change, the country’s top media outlets continue using this language.

Screenshot of the Bangladesh government law portal (bdlaws.minlaw.gov.bd) showing the 2020 amendment to the Nāri O Shishu Nirjatan Daman Ain, replacing the word ধর্ষিতা with ধর্ষণের শিকার (‘subjected to rape’).
Nari O Shishu Nirjatan Daman (Amendment) Act, 2020 Section 9 replaces “ধর্ষিতা” (raped) with “ধর্ষণের শিকার” (subjected to rape) — the legal language survivors’ advocates had pushed for.

The law specifically refers to the Bangla term “dhorshita” and does not mention its English equivalent. The Media Resources Development Initiative (MRDI) has identified “raped” as the corresponding English term. Dismislab followed the same terminology for this report. However, to avoid ambiguity, the report focused only on Bangla-language reports.

Dismislab investigated why news outlets continue to use the term and examined how much editorial accountability exists.

140+Bangla reports used “raped” in 2025
29/30top outlets used the word
12reports used it in the headline itself

Dismislab’s analysis revealed that in 2025, the word “raped” was used in at least 140 Bangla reports across 29 of the 30 most-read online media outlets. In 12 of the reports, the word appeared in the headline itself. Only ATN Bangla avoided using the term raped.

Media outlets operate on their own policies, and institutional guidelines are the primary consideration for language use. There is no legal obligation to stop using this word. However, global journalism guidelines and international organizations have emphasized gender sensitivity.

Language prevalent in Bangladeshi media

Explore the outlets

Click or tap a box to see the outlet’s name, how many of its reports used the word in 2025, and examples. Up to three article screenshots are included for each outlet.

Top 5 media outlets that used the word most

To observe the use of this word in the media, Dismislab chose the online platforms of 10 media outlets from each of three categories — TV, online, and daily newspapers — based on their readership numbers. Verifying reports published in 2025, Dismislab did not find the word “raped” in any report from only one media outlet. The word was used in all the remaining 29 media outlets.

Among the online portals, the word was found in 25 reports by Dhaka Mail and 10 reports by Dhaka Post. Among newspaper websites, raped was used in 20 reports by Jugantor and 16 reports by Kalbela. Among television websites, the highest instance (10) of using the word was by Channel 24.

Not only inside the reports, but the use of the word in the headlines is also noticeable. Individuals have been presented with identities like “Raped teenager”, “Raped woman”, “Stood beside the raped”…, and even “Mother of the raped”.

That is to say, not only the victim, but their family members are also being identified through the incident. The mother of the one who was the victim of the crime is now being introduced through that incident, not by her own name.

01The label enters the headline
02The person is defined by the incident
03The label extends to the family
04Even relatives are named through it
Headline evidence 1 Headline evidence 2 Headline evidence 3 Headline evidence 4

Examples of how that identity plays out in real headlines: the survivor named only by the crime.

Impact of language

According to experts, words like “raped” define a person through the crime committed against them. As a result, their identity as an individual is undermined; the incident of violence committed against them comes to the fore.

Manisha Biswas, legal specialist of the Bangladesh Legal Aid and Services Trust (BLAST), has said concepts of impurity and shame have been attached to the word “Dhorshita” for a long time. Such language has long-lasting harmful effects.

She said, “The use of these words brings the victim to the forefront of everything and conceals the fact that there is a perpetrator here.”

“Although it is said that what is actually in a word? But this play of words plays a major role in helping a woman carry her identity. These things actually compel a person to become silent,” she added.

According to Barrister Priya Ahsan Chowdhury, such a label can throw the relevant person into “the fear of falling victim to judgment in the family, workplace, or social sphere.”

She says these words also have social and psychological impacts: “When someone is repeatedly identified with labels linked to violence, society then begins to consider that specific incident as their core identity instead of seeing them as an independent human being with dignity. As a result, that person may suffer from mental agony and the fear of social isolation.”

Trishia Nashtaran, founder of Meye Network, says media language not only serves information, but also influences people’s thoughts and perceptions. “Media language establishes a kind of standard. It influences the perspective. Due to being used repeatedly, this language leaves a deep impression on the subconscious minds of readers, viewers, and listeners.”

She reminded that by using such words, on the one hand, the perpetrator’s culpability is evaded, and on the other hand, the victim has to fall prey to fresh injustice: “The social pressure of the entire injustice falls upon the wronged woman, the society’s victim-blaming attitude towards her is indulged, the possibility of the woman, who was subjected to rape, being socially ostracized increases, and the stigma imposed by society upon her solidifies. Whereas the abused woman has absolutely no fault here.”

Meanwhile, Nishat Sultana, director of Plan International Bangladesh, says, “The words that mentally traumatize a woman again and again, making her a victim; those words cannot be used.”

According to her, “For such a sensitive issue, we expect from the media that the first concern or the first sensitivity will come from them. The media is our voice. If there is a major flaw right there, then how will they stop society’s mistakes?”

What guidelines say

International journalism guidelines on reporting sexual violence emphasise that the language used should not subject survivors to further stigma or trauma in society.

The guideline titled “Reporting on Violence Against Women and Girls” by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) mentions that word choices like “raped woman” should be avoided. This can create the perception that the victim had some role in the incident.

Meanwhile, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) states that in incidents of sexual and gender-based violence, such word choices or language must be used that clearly bring forth the perpetrator’s culpability.

In the Dart Center for Journalism and Trauma’s “Reporting on Sexual Violence” guidelines, this responsibility has been placed directly on journalists. It states that it is the responsibility of journalists to exercise caution so that the victim does not face any further harassment or have their dignity undermined in society.

Also, the Dart Center Europe’s “Reporting on Sexual Violence in Conflict” guidelines state that sensational descriptions must not be used in the case of reporting on sexual violence; because how the media presents a subject can play an important role in how people will perceive that issue and in its impact on the individuals involved.

The importance of word selection in reporting on sexual violence has also been highlighted in the Canada-based study “Use the Right Words: Media Reporting on Sexual Violence in Canada”. The study stated that using the correct words is extremely important when publishing news about sexual violence. Incorrect word choices can unintentionally compound the victim’s suffering further. Due to this risk of unintentional harm, media outlets should be well informed about all such methodologies that do not shame or blame the victims.

In Bangladesh too, several policies have been formed at various times for maintaining gender sensitivity in the media. The guideline “Gender in the Horizon of Journalistic Ethics”, published by the Media Resources Development Initiative (MRDI), states, “What word you will use in the case of a rape victim is a matter of much thought. The word ‘raped’ (dhorshita) has been changed to ‘subjected to rape’ (dhorshoner shikar) in the latest amendment (2020) of the Nari O Shishu Nirjatan Daman Ain. Many media outlets have already been using this phrase for a long time. In this, the boundary of gender is broadening for victims of such incidents.”

At the same time, the guideline has raised another question. Even if “subjected to rape” is used, the person essentially remains confined within the identity of a victim. In many cases, the word “victim/sufferer” could be a comparatively neutral alternative.

In the study “Women and Hijras in Bangladeshi News Media” published by the same institution, the word “Dhorshita” is identified as a word used as a slur.

Editorial policies

Publicly visible policy
1 of 30

Specific rape-reporting guidance was found only on Prothom Alo’s website.

Blue = Prothom Alo’s specific guidance. Small dots mark the six other sites described as having brief gender-related statements, not specific rape-reporting guidelines.

Dismislab scrutinized whether there are any specific editorial policies for reporting on rape, sexual violence, or gender sensitive issues on the websites of 30 media outlets.

Upon verification, it is seen that specific guidelines for publishing rape news were found only on Prothom Alo’s website. The “Rape News” section of Prothom Alo’s women’s policy states, “Instead of the word ‘Dhorshita’, we use the phrase ‘subjected to rape’ as much as possible.”

Journalist and trainer Qurratul-Ain-Tahmina played a role in formulating this policy. Explaining why the phrase ‘as much as possible’ was kept in such a sensitive matter, she says, “By ‘as much as possible’, it is primarily meant that if the word ‘raped’ is present in someone’s statement in a report, then it must be kept inside quotation marks and used exactly like that. Or if it is part of a poem or story, it must be kept that way. In this context, ‘as much as possible’ was kept.”

However, the research shows that despite having this policy, the word “raped” was used in 4 reports by Prothom Alo in 2025. When asked for an explanation regarding this, Prothom Alo’s Head of Online, Shawkat Hossain, said, “If we have used it, that is by mistake. If we see it, we will definitely correct it.”

On the other hand, no editorial guidelines were found on the websites of the remaining 29 media outlets. Of the 6 websites that have mentions of gender issues, most are brief statements found in the “About Us” section. There, commitments to human rights, the rule of law, media freedom, and gender issues are stated.

Even more noticeable is the fact that the language of these statements is almost identical. The sentences used on the websites of multiple media outlets match almost word-for-word.

According to Qurratul-Ain-Tahmina, this absence itself is the big problem: “Firstly, the editorial policy is not publicly available in any newspaper. This (commitment to gender issues) is written only in ‘About Us’. That this policy is not present in all newspapers, or even if it is, that they have not published it, is alarming. Only Prothom Alo and Daily Star have done this, and that too much later. Because of not having a policy, you cannot hold any media outlet accountable, since you do not know whether the newspaper is following the policy or violating it.”

What media has to say

Dismislab sought explanations on this matter from the three media outlets that used the word “raped” the most in each category – newspaper, TV, and online, in the study. An attempt was made to get comments from “Dhaka Mail” as the online portal, “Channel 24” in the TV medium, and “Jugantor” in the case of newspapers. Upon receiving no response from Jugantor, Dismislab contacted “Kalbela”, which used the word the second-highest number of times.

Amrita MalangiHead of Online, Kalbela

“These words remain as a result of a lack of proper training on laws or linguistic policies, the tendency to publish news quickly, and reports’ words not being verified by editors.”

Mazhar KhandakerNews Editor & Online In-charge, Channel 24

“The words are so prevalent that they creep in inadvertently in some reports. This is certainly the media’s flaw.”

Harun JamilExecutive Editor, Dhaka Mail

“It is a flaw in editorial management. We try to remain cautious in using sensitive words.”

According to experts, the problem is not merely of one word; rather, it is also related to the newsroom’s culture, training, and editorial practices. According to Barrister Priya Ahsan Chowdhury, “Longstanding linguistic habits do not change overnight. Many journalists and news workers are still accustomed to old-era reporting methods and word choices.”

According to Manisha Biswas, a major cause of the problem is the lack of adequate orientation in the media: “It is often seen that they [reporters] are asked to work on a report on the very first day of their job without actually orienting them properly with the code of conduct of journalism. Due to this, the fact that they have to keep these areas in mind actually remains quite a challenge or quite a gap.”

Experts’ advice

Even though the language of the law changed five years ago, there has not been much change in the language of the media. One explanation provided by Plan International’s Nishat Sultana is that the patriarchal values that journalists grow up with leave a mark on their profession as well.

“Journalists are not really any creatures from an alien planet. They are human beings like us. Journalists also grow up within the same patriarchal norms and behavioral practices.

For meaningful change to happen, work is needed simultaneously in three places — the family, the educational sector, and the workplace.”

Nishat Sultana · Director, Plan International Bangladesh

According to journalist and trainer Qurratul-Ain-Tahmina, journalistic ethics is more important here than the law: “The law is not that effective in this case. Even if an incorrect word is used in the law, we can only tell them to change that.” According to her, journalistic ethics compels one to use correct words, to avoid such words that blame the victim further.

According to her, this ethics needs to take an institutional form. Tahmina says every media outlet should have an effective style guide.

She believes that not just words, but how the victim’s story is to be told also needs to be included in this guideline: “Not highlighting the victim’s struggle in a report is also negative framing.”

For institutional change, she mentioned several specific steps:

Keep the rules visible in the newsroom
Hold regular training and workshops
Send periodic warning messages
Assign a responsible person to monitor the matter
Hold regular dialogues with the media

Alongside this, regular dialogues with the media should be held, so they know surveillance is going on regarding this issue.

Barrister Priya Ahsan Chowdhury says the use of this word is gradually decreasing, and through uninterrupted training, editorial accountability, and public awareness, it is possible to spread this change widely. And its beginning, according to her, can happen in the newsroom, where word selection takes place.

Methodology