The New Nation - Internet Edition

Md. Asraf Ali

VIOLENCE against women has turned quite heavy over the years and decades. This is so, despite the UN declaration on elimination of violence against women. The preventive and corrective measures against violence remain quite inadequate and ineffective. The incidents of domestic violence against women are considered as personal affair of the husband and the wife. Other members of the family and the neighbours normally avoid persuading husbands to stop violence against their wives.

Reports on domestic violence appear in the press from time to time. The UNFPA along with the Ain O Salish Kendra has reportedly conducted a survey on the incidents in Bangladesh. The incidents of violence against women in the Dhaka city have been noted in the survey. The reasons for taking violent action against wives, and other dependents including maidservants, are not recorded by family members and the official agencies including the police department. Some husbands insist upon payment of dowry by the parents of women and opt for penalising their wives for non payment of the same.

The incidents of violence against women including the murder of women by their husbands have increased over the years. This scenario is horrible and physical torture of women has increased. Some women have literally been killed by their husbands even in the presence of other members of the family and neighbours around. According to the findings of the UNFPA, 40 per cent of women fell victim to domestic violence in the capital city of Dhaka in Bangladesh, which is ranked as the fourth highest in violence against women.

The findings of the UNFPA and the Ain Salish Kendra have to be noted with care by all concerned. The prospect of safe living in the family environment has to be brought under necessary measures. The legal provisions for safety of women including wives in Bangladesh are inadequate. Newly married women are tortured and even murdered by their husbands for very many reasons including the non-payment of dowry. Some husbands also blame their wives for retaining contacts and relations with their friends including classmates in schools and colleges, before attacking their wives.

Murder of wives by husbands and their agents, physical assault on the ground of non-payment of dowry have increased. Throwing of acid on the face and the body of women have occurred frequently. Some husbands even stop supplying food to targeted women, who remain without food for days together. Others even induce their allies to go for sexual abuse of their wives. The details of violence against women are quite diverse. Families of the victims usually try to conceal the facts and a sort of a social taboo has appeared in the society at large.

That being so, the implications of UN declaration on elimination of violence against women have to be appreciated by the official agencies, social groups including agencies like the Ain O Shalish Kendra in Bangladesh and members of the family. The sufferings of affected wives have to be contained with necessary campaign against violence. If needed, the deals on dowry for marriage have to be placed in the fathom of illegality. Physical torture of wives has to be brought under legal action against the greedy husbands with necessary punishment. The realities in family life have to be brought under review by the community around and the administrative agencies in the country.