A gathering was held on Sunday, June 8, 2022, at 3:30 pm at Tipu Sultan Road, Wari area of the capital, under the joint initiative of the Legal Aid Sub-Council of the Central Committee of Bangladesh Mahila Parishad (BMP) and the Dhaka Metropolitan Committee. Dr. Fauzia Moslem, President of the Central Committee of Bangladesh Mahila Parishad (BMP) presided over the event.
In that program, the president of the organization’s central committee, Dr. Fauzia Moslem, Secretary of Central Committee Legal Aid Sub-Committee Rekha Saha, Central Committee Legal Aid Sub-Committee Adv. Fatema Khatun, Dhaka Metropolitan Committee General Secretary Rehana Yunus, Deputy General Secretary, Manju Dhar, Legal Aid Secretary Shamima Afroz Irin, and Education and Culture Secretary Shanghamitra Bhattacharya, Dhaka Metropolitan Member, Nusrat Esha, Mahfuz Dolly, respected organizing members of the neighborhood committee were present along with a total of 110.
The program of rally was conducted by Shamima Afroz Irin, Legal Aid Secretary of Dhaka Metropolitan Committee of the organization.
President, Dr. Fauzia Moslem said in her speech that it is important to develop a respectful relationship between women and men. In order to prevent torture and violence against women, different programs should be undertaken to increase the awareness of the general public by involving the male community. It is our responsibility and duty to protect women from all these violence. We only need everyone’s sincere cooperation to stop the constant violence against women in society. The level of violence against women is highest through domestic violence. Everywhere, women have to keep their courage on themselves. Everyone including women should be made aware. Bangladesh Mahila Parishad (BMP)organizes all through various activities to bring everyone together through thought and psychological change to prevent violence against women with the slogan of women’s rights is human rights, the establishment of women’s co-partnership in the management of the state, society, movement to establish women’s individual rights, women’s economic, political and overall empowerment by raising awareness among women and organizing the society for more than five decades.
She also said that currently, violence against women in the country is increasing at an alarming rate in all areas. It is time for both men and women to stand up against violence against women as well as social movements. All people of society should bring a positive attitudes toward women. Violence against women can be reduced to a great extent by creating social awareness irrespective of men and women.
Earlier in the welcome speech at the rally, General Secretary of Dhaka City, Rehana Yunus said that the fundamental needs of women’s life such as equal rights, equal rights to property, equal status in the family, society and the state should be established through the organization’s 52 years of movement to establish women’s human rights. She also called for social movement, social awareness programs in every area. The uniform family law irrespective of caste, race and religion should be implemented in order to ensure security of women and girl child.
Manju Dhar, Asst. General Secretary of the organization’s Dhaka Metropolitan Committee, said that family values should be awakened to stop violence and torture against women. He also urged to expand and strengthen the organization through its activities of the organization.
Fatema Khatun, a lawyer of the Legal Aid Sub-Committee of the central committee of the organization, said that violence against women and girl children has increased at an alarming rate. Child marriage has also increased. At the same time, cases of rape, murder after the rape, and dowry-related violence have also increased. She demanded to change the attitude towards women and girl children and to make the role of the administration more effective and stronger in stopping child marriage to get rid of these problems.
Rekha Saha, Legal Aid Secretary of the central committee of the organization, said that most women do not get due respect or dignity in patriarchal society. We hope that the family, society, state will take a more focused and strong position to protect the life of women and children as well as their health. At the same time, she also demanded to ensure women’s higher education to stop child marriage and to ensure women’s social security.
Besides, a member Brishti Rani Das spoke on behalf of the Wari Para branch of the organization’s Dhaka Metropolitan Committee. She said, the ongoing incidents of violence against women and girls are undoubtedly a matter of worry. In this situation, women and children’s rights are far from being realized, their life security is under threat today. She also demanded to create suitable environment for education of women and girls and to strengthen security measures as well as rights of women and girls.
Members- Nupur Rani Das, Bina Rani Das and Pratibha also spoke on behalf of Wari Para Branch.
“Rape is a crime against humanity – let us build social resistance against violence against women and girls” by moving ahead with this slogan, Nusrat Esha, a member of the organization’s Dhaka Metropolitan Committee, read out the general resolution in the rally program to demand prevention and remedy for the ongoing incidents of torture and rape of women and girls.
