The New Nation - Internet Edition

NOTWITHSTANDING that half of the population of Bangladesh are women and that for three successive terms a female figure headed the government of this country, the conditions of women in general leave a lot to be desired. Women of the upper classes are considered liberated and enjoy their rights fully. But the same cannot be said about the status or conditions of women in the lower strata of the society or in the rural areas and they are the majority in the female population. They are not only discriminated and denied rights and opportunities in many cases in a still predominantly male-dominated society, they are also repressed severely and abominably through crimes such as acid throwing and the social practices of dowry giving. Few crimes are perhaps, so dreadful as the acid throwing on females witnessed frequently throughout Bangladesh. In almost all cases, the victims of acid throwing suffer serious burns on their faces and bodies.

Reports appear regularly in newspapers about the torture of brides in the houses of their husbands or in-laws for the failure of the brides' parents to pay dowries in pledged proportions after marriage. Wives are divorced, beaten and sometimes tortured to death on such grounds. It is not that laws do not exist to deter the acid throwers. But the problem is the enforcement of the laws. The cases of acid throwing call for scrutiny from the highest level. A special cell should be mobilised to monitor all cases of acid throwing and to take up the cases individually and demand from police stations progress in relation to each case and to ask for explanation if progress is not seen.

As for the scourge of dowry, the same cannot be discouraged through the application of law only. The best way to tackle it is to raise social awareness against dowry. It needs to be taken up strongly by all social and philanthrophic organisations, civic forums and other bodies including the government's own ministry of social welfare. Campaigns must be launched and maintained to change hearts and minds to bring about successful realisation on all sides that dowry is an evil practice. Strong anti-dowry movements waged on community basis can succeed like no other in intensifying public opinion against dowry. The mass media should also see the merit of playing their part regularly in helping to sustain anti-dowry campaigns. The lawmakers and all others should be persuaded by organisations devoted to welfare of females to bring about changes in laws that would increasingly open up more socio-economic opportunities for women and end discriminatory actions and behaviour against them in all spheres of life.