On Monday, December 2, 2024, at 3:00 PM, the Bangladesh Mahila Parishad (BMP) convened an open sharing meeting at their central office auditorium in Dhaka. This gathering was part of the observance for International Fortnight for the Elimination of Violence against Women and Human Rights Day, focusing on strategies to prevent and address violence against women and girls. The session was led by Dr. Fauzia Moslem, President of BMP. Maleka Banu, the General Secretary, gave the opening remarks, and Adv. Masuda Rehana Begum, the Joint General Secretary, presented a concept note.
At the discussion meeting, there were respected guest including Shampa Yasmin, Additional DIG of the Bangladesh Police (Forensic Branch, CID, Dhaka); Sabina Ferdous, Deputy Secretary of the Ministry of Women and Children Affairs; Farin Farzana, Assistant Director of the National Legal Aid Services Organization; and Salma Sayed Polly, Deputy Police Commissioner of the Women Support and Investigation Division, Dhaka Metropolitan Police. , SMA Sabur, a senior lawyer at the Bangladesh Supreme Court; Md. Jabedul Alam Khandakar, the head of the National Forensic DNA Profiling Laboratory; Dr. Md. Tauhidul Haque, an associate professor at Dhaka University; Shrabana Dutta, Program Coordinator of UN Women in Bangladesh; Sushmita Paik, Deputy Director of the National Human Rights Commission; and Md. Aminul Islam, a lawyer at the Bangladesh Supreme Court. Representatives from different organizations and women’s rights activists also attended the meeting.
During her talk, Sabina Ferdous highlighted the importance of campaigns against violence towards women. She emphasized targeting men in the awareness campaigns on equal property rights. Shampa Yasmin discussed the law’s role in protecting women’s rights and the roll of police to fight against cybercrime. Farin Farzana mentioned the low reporting of violence against women and talked about legal aid services.
Adv. SM Abul Sabur noted that although there are supportive laws for women, they aren’t always enforced. Advocating for equal rights in property, education, and jobs is very important. Md. Jabedul Alam Khandaker emphasized the significance of DNA testing in identifying criminals and proposed expanding labs and a national DNA database. Salma Syed Polly discussed the urgency of increasing victim supports and updating laws for addressing challenges like dowry and cybercrime.
Dr. Md. Touhidul Haque encouraged movements against discrimination at family level for everyone’s safety. Srabana Dutta pointed out that violence against women is a global issue. She urged for social changes, support systems for victims, community programs, and financial support for women.
Adv. Masuda Rehana’s paper focused on the campaign against gender based violence, underscoring the recognition of women’s rights as human rights and offering 21 suggestions to prevent violence against women and girls.
In her conclusion, Dr. Fauzia Moslem gave importance on collective action against violence, advocating for equitable family systems and reforming unequal family and inheritance laws. Maleka Banu, in her welcome address, highlighted the global insecured conditions of women and called for coordinated efforts by women’s groups and stakeholders.
The meeting included participants from various organizations, leaders from Bangladesh Mahila Parishad, journalists, totaling 95 people.
The event was conducted by Rekha Saha, legal aid secretary of BMP.
