A writ petition has been filed with the High Court, seeking an amendment to Section 375 of the Penal Code to treat child sexual abuse by males as offensive as rape.

Supreme Court lawyer Barrister Tapas Kanti Ball, who filed the petition on Thursday, said it would be presented to a bench of the High Court for hearing very soon.

Human rights activist Tasmia Nuhaiya Ahmed made the petition on behalf of Jagannath University Law Faculty member Masum Billah and social worker Soumen Bhowmik.

In the writ, the secretaries to the law and home ministries, and the Inspector General of Police (IGP) have been made defendants.

Barrister Tapas told reporters incidents of rape of boys by male sexual predators have increased significantly in the country.

But such repression cannot be tried as a crime of rape, he said, adding that, that is why petition has been made to amend Section 375 of the Penal Code to consider the crime of child sexual abuse a same magnitude of offence as that of the rape of women.

He further said by making necessary changes to Section 375 and the relevant sections of the Prevention of Violence against Women and Children Act, rape of male children by men-folks be considered as rape and be meted out with due punishment.