In fact, it was not a single incident. Several other incidents of sexual harassment took place on the Dhaka streets on Wednesday. Of them, a few took to Facebook to raise their voices against the harassment they suffered at the hands of rowdy mobs in the open daylight.
The Home Minister’s statement came yesterday at a time when widespread criticism flooded both the main stream and social media following the sexual harassment of some women just a day before the International Women’s Day. It was astonishing that ruling party stalwarts at first tried to avoid the incidents terming these as ‘politically motivated’.
Of the victims, a girl posted on facebook that she was physically abused by a group of 15-20 young men on the open street in front of several people. ‘I had to walk to Bangla Motor from Shantinagar as I could not get on any bus. Soon after reaching Bangla Motor, I was caught in the middle of a procession. Around 15 to 20 people surrounded me and then the most obvious thing happened. My two hands could not prevent so many hands grabbing my body. Finally, a police officer rescued me from the gang of molesters, stopped a bus and put me in it,’ she wrote on her facebook wall. The post went viral just within hours. Another girl posted: ‘I was going to hospital with my mother as I was injured in an accident. I had to wear shirt and pant as it makes dressing the wounds easier. But I had to cover my head and face with a scarf so that dust does not set on my facial wounds. Several times, my rickshaw was stopped by men and they asked me why I was covering my head even though I was wearing shirt and pant. They were hurling vulgar comments towards me even though my mother was sitting beside me on the rickshaw.’
Allegations have been raised that the victims were molested by some rowdy youths who were going to Suhrawardy Uddyan to attend the programme of ruling Awami League. The social media network facebook was flooded with various comments with agony and anger of different users over the posts with harassment descriptions. Most of them questioned why there was not enough security for the women on Dhaka street.
We feel sad and guilty because rape, gang rape and girl molestation have become so frequent and freely committed crimes. We have to blame anarchic politics and unruly political workers as mainly responsible for it. The government assurance of police action is no assurance that the real criminals will be punished. Crimes are committed of all kinds increasingly because police cannot be effective and impartial.
There is too much political interference to save political followers. The police are also so politicised that they take advantage of anarchic and corrupt politics. Besides, police are too busy protecting many government and pro-government people. The bloggers have to be protected. The Ghatakdalal Nirmool Committee members have to be protected for their brave words for dividing the nation with false fear. So police action in most cases mean more harassment.
The problem is that the police do not feel accountable to the people and take responsibility for making the roads safe. They have been made to think that they are for protecting the government and their followers. They are not the people’s police to serve people.
Demanding punishment means very little, because the government cannot be trusted for their obligation to the people. The lower judiciary is under the government and the government must be obeyed. We must have a government that works for the people.
The police are needed to save the government. We suggest let there be a separate police force for taking care of the people whose money are misused in so many ways so easily.
For the victims, we urge the women rights bodies to bring pressure on the government to make road safe for girls.
We are not for punishment because in rape case pale punishment is not enough. Our girls have to be protected from rapists. We are also convinced that criminals get away for their political connection. The police must be feared by the criminals. But that is not there.
We should also remind the police that they must remain people’s police and must know what their professional duties are.
