Aruna Bala:
It is 2020 and also very unpredictable and shocking to hear when a girl or a woman get raped by bus drivers, by her friends, neighbors and even by her close relatives. Not a single day passes without hearing an incident of molestation or the rape of women in Bangladesh. By reading the newspaper and watching TV news about the rape cases and girls molestation has become normal, it is shameful for all of us as a citizen of Bangladesh.
Every crime related to women and girls is getting more brutal and violent. Sometimes we hear that the age of victim 2/3 years old or even infants. We are a country of billions, out of which 50 percent women and girls. That’s why our government should be prioritized the safety of women and girls as top listed.
The safety and the right to live without any fear are every citizen’s basic rights. And especially women and girls need to be ensuring about their rights to fulfill accordingly. Can we ensure the rights and safety of women at all? Dhaka is the capital city of Bangladesh, reports some of the highest numbers of rapes in Bangladesh. Back in 2018, a woman was gang-raped in a moving bus in Dhamrai. It was scared of the whole nation. Another incident happened, a desperate father found no other way, but to jump in front of moving train with his eight years old daughter named Ayesha, who was raped and the police has refused to take her case. We didn’t shed a tear when the mentally challenged girl also was raped in Madaripur.
The government of Bangladesh enacted several laws relating to protect the crimes against women and girls, such as Prevention of Women and Child Repression Act, 2000; The Penal Code, 1860; The Cruelty to Women (Deterrent Punishment) Ordinance, 1983 and a law has recently been enacted to address the issue of sexual harassment in the workplaces. Even after the ratification of the above-mentioned laws, still, the rate of rape is higher.
Recently, the second-year Dhaka University student was raped near the capitals Kurmitola General Hospital. In 2020, it is completely absurd and awful to have a low-security system where a girl cannot reach home safely and is accompanied by fear. If we truly want to stop these type heinous crimes against women and girls then the punishment must be harsh and the trial system must be speedy. We need stringent actions to be taken against the culprits to set an example in our society.
*The author is an independent researcher.