Section 6. Discrimination and Societal Abuses Women Rape and Domestic Violence: The law only prohibits rape of girls and women by men and physical spousal abuse, but the law excludes marital rape if the girl or woman is older than 13. Conviction of rape is punishable by life imprisonment or the death penalty. Human rights organizations found rape remained a serious issue in the country. Domestic human rights group ASK reported 936 women were raped, with 4 deaths after rape. There were allegations of rapists blackmailing survivors by threatening to release the video of the rape on social media. Rights groups reported violence against women in all forms increased throughout the pandemic. ASK reported 479 cases of violence against women, excluding rape, with many thousands of other cases unreported. NGOs mobilized to address an increase in gender-based violence during the pandemic. There were many reports of sexual violence committed with impunity. In September police arrested five persons on the charge of abetting and raping a schoolgirl in Natore. Three accused allegedly raped the student by holding a knife to her neck and recorded the crime. According to news sources, the accused later demanded money and threatened to post the video on social media. In July a Hindu woman was allegedly raped, killed, and her body left in a paddy field in Dinajpur District. Her 10-year-old daughter was found unconscious near the victim’s body. According to the victim’s family, the woman was gang raped. The perpetrators were not identified. According to guidelines for handling rape cases, the officer in charge of a police station must record any information relating to rape or sexual assault irrespective of the place of occurrence. Chemical and DNA tests must be conducted within 48 hours from when the incident was reported. Guidelines also stipulate every police station must have a female police officer available to survivors of rape or sexual assault during the recording of the case by the duty officer. The statements of the survivor must be recorded in the presence of a lawyer, social worker, protection Page 36