MANY dailies reported on Friday that acid was thrown on a groom and a few guests in a pre-wedding party. The victims hail from Sarkarpara of Shokhipur Upazila in Shariatpur District. The prime victim Selim (the groom) with 30 percent burns has been struggling for life at the Burn Unit of the Dhaka Medical College Hospital, allegedly because of the jealousy of an admirer of the bride. The victim and four others, including two kids, are also suffering from injuries in the incident. One of the victims Rabeya, 8, an orphan is unable to support the costly treatment process.
According to reports, victims were immediately rushed to Chandpur Sadar Hospital but the groom Selim and an 8-year-old Rabeya, whose conditions appeared critical, were referred and rushed to Dhaka Medical College Hospital where they are receiving treatment.
Apparently the accused Shifat remains absconding. Reports also show that of the five suspects identified by the police, two have been detained. Groom Selim’s recovery would take about two months and he would need a number of operations, said Director of the Burn Unit, DMCH. The other victim Rabeya, an orphan of a poor family, will also need several cosmetic surgeries to reshape her face.
Commenting on the attack, the Law Minister said that no new law is required to try acid throwers and all that the government needs to do is to issue a gazette to bring acid violence cases under Speedy Trial Tribunals. The Minister hopes such a step would reduce incidents of acid throwing. But the Director of the Acid Survivors Foundation, an NGO that provides support to acid attack victims clarified that only in 12-13 percent cases, convictions are made in acid violence cases filed with the police.
Criminologists assign at least four major causes viz. social value degradation, rising tendency to take cruel revenge out of personal cowardice, lax application of laws or absence of stern punishment and scope of manipulating the prosecution are helpful for acid terrorism in which women are the common victims. At the top of all, easy availability of acid is the principal factor for committing this act of terrorism.
Supply of acid needs to be regulated more firmly and the government must show its sincerity by passing laws which put the onus of the burden solely on the supplier of such materials if rigorous imprisonment is given to sellers of the liquids or the sale of such items regulated more efficiently, then such incidents are bound to occur less frequently. To the relief of the acid victims, there should be separate burn-unit at least at all district level hospitals to provide necessary treatment, including surgical intervention, if needed, free of cost. Moreover, there should be strong social resistance to free the society from the curse of acid terrorism.
