Joynal Abedin Khan :The repression against women and children is increasing across the country day after day.The countrymen, including rights activists, have expressed a deep concerned over rising incidents alarmingly. The Women and Children Affairs Ministry launched a toll free help line to inform the ministry crime incidents and to take necessary help. The service is open for all round 24 hours after launching on June 19 in 2012. ministry sources said. According to Police Headquarters, at least 1707 incidents of repression against the women and children were reported in March while the number was 1482 in February and 1315 in January of the current year. A report of Bangladesh Shishu Adhikar Forum (BSAF) said, 169 rape incidents were reported in the last three months this year and the figure was 521 in 2015, 199 in 2014, 170 in 2013 and 86 in 2012. Besides, violence against women rose by 74 per cent in 2015 compared with the previous year, says a report of BRAC.The number might be higher, as 68 percent of incidents of violence against women go unreported, the report mentioned.The report was prepared on the basis of field reports done by BRAC staff working in 55 districts across the country.Report of Bangladesh Police website, a total of 17,752 cases were filed in 2010 for violence against women and children. The number of such cases was 21,220 in 2015. A report of Bangladesh Mahila Parishad (BMP) said, a total of 55,656 women were killed for various reasons in the last 11 years and two months (from January 2005 to February 2016).A national survey of the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS) in 2014 said that 87 per cent of Bangladeshi married women were abused by their husbands. BRAC’s field report published in June last year shows that the total number of incidents of violence against women in 2014 was 2,873, which rose to the alarming figure of 5,008 in 2015.The report also shows poor women are subjected to violence relatively more than 54 pc because of social discrimination.Overall, men were responsible for the majority of violence committed against women. It reveals that 88pc of perpetrators are men, who are family members of the victim women or their neighbours.According to the BRAC survey, incidents of violence occur more in Comilla, Bogra, Rajshahi, Bagerhat and Satkhira.The victim or victims’ family, neighbours, and Polli Somaj members send reports to BRAC head office within 24 hours of identification, and maintain a database.BRAC’s community empowerment director Anna Minj said that the family of victim women shows interest to take legal action after the incidents of violence. But, the poor families lose their enthusiasm when influential people force them to withdraw cases.Eventually, one fourth of the cases reach the final stage. But victim families withdraw cases negotiating with the accused in exchange of money due to legislative complication, she added.Abul Hossain, Project Director of Multi-Sectoral Programme on Violence against Women under the Ministry of Women and Children Affairs, violence against women is much visible nowadays as people are vocal on the issue.Prof Mahfuza Khanam, member of the National Human Rights Commission, said that the state of women and children is also an indicator of development for a country.Bangladesh is developing day by day, but violence against women is also increasing due to the impact of satellite channels, digital culture, and lack of implementation of laws, she said.Prof Mahfuza Khanam also said, an integrated step has to be taken to thwart these incidents of violence against women.
