Stop Political Backing of Rapists
Many reasons can be found responsible for rape in various cases in our country but lack of morality from family background and political backing are the vital causes of unbridled rape and violence against women in Bangladesh.
The protests against the recent spike in rapes brought the issue of the political identities of rapists into the limelight yet again.
People fear political goons who have connections with political leaders and have their patronage, as evidenced by the recent rape in Noakhali and Sylhet. Offenders with political influence often enjoy certain impunity as the very powers that are in place to ensure justice for victims can sometimes act against them. Victims do not feel safe to report such crimes to the police out of fear.
However, the criminals do not stop gaining political backup and an offender never becomes reckless overnight. Rapists know that they can be prosecuted but do not care when they feel that their political identity and backup is stronger than the victim’s family’s ability to fight back for justice.
In the incidents of rape and violence against women, consequences are not always the same for offenders with or without political influence.
Offenders believe that political backing exists to protect them and they often do not victimize someone who has a better social and political position than them. So our political leaders should realise the very fact to stop rape and violence against women in future.
Md. Zillur Rahaman
Dhaka
