On 2nd July, a human chain protest was carried out at 3:30 PM in front of the National Press Club arranged by Social Action Committee against the incident of a lady getting raped and abused in Muradnagar, Comilla. The program was chaired by Dr. Fauzia Moslem, the president of Bangladesh Mahila Parishad, while the guests described their feelings after visiting the crime scene. The speakers were Maleka Banu, General Secretary of Bangladesh Mahila Parishad; Humayra Khatun, Secretary of Social Welfare Sub-Committee; Saraban Tahura from Nijera Kori; Mousumi Kirtaniya from Dhaka YWCA; Selina Parveen from Bangladesh Nari Pragati Sangha; and Jana Goswami, the Director of Advocacy and Lobby at Bangladesh Mahila Parishad.
During a human chain event, Maleka Banu, General Secretary of Bangladesh Mahila Parishad, on her part, remarked that the current state of women’s human rights, dignity, respect, and security in Bangladesh is being opened up for the whole world to see. She mentioned the example of a woman belonging to the minority community in Muradnagar as a reference to her claim and continued that the people, instead of concentrating on the victim’s rights and dignity, created a political fuss. Even though the perpetrator was sued in the aftermath of the incident, the survivor is under the pressure of withdrawing the case—serving as a harsh reminder of the fact that survivors are usually made to stop their fight by intimidation and threats. She pointed out that if the administration fails to take measures to put an end to such practices, the situation will continue, and the chances for the victims to get justice will be slim. She warned that we still need to work hard to end gender-blind politics; further, she asked for the authorities to carry out thorough investigations and for those guilty of crimes to be correctly identified and punished to avoid recurrence.
Humayra Khatun, Secretary of the Social Welfare Sub-Committee, expressed the frustration at the rape incident in Muradnagar, pointing out that women are being constantly exposed to violence with no means of escape. She was of the view that though women will progress beyond the violence, society has to maintain a women-friendly attitude while women’s protection of the human rights of all people will continue.
Saraban Tahura from Nijera Kori thinks that violence against women should never be used as a tool of power abuse, either to serve political or economic agendas, but should rather be eliminated. She said that it is also necessary to stop blaming the victims and build up collective resistance against the violence.
Mousumi Kirtaniya from Dhaka YWCA stressed that the situation of violence against women is no longer safe for anyone in the country. Therefore, the right execution of laws and victims’ exact justice should be the top priorities for changing this condition.
Selina Parveen of Bangladesh Nari Pragati Sangha reported that when the Social Action Committee representative team went to Muradnagar, the local district commissioner did not even want to see them. Thus, the justice for the victim is questionable. She urged everyone to be resilient in their positions to stage a peaceful resistance against violence and crime.
Jana Goswami, Director of Advocacy and Lobby at Bangladesh Mahila Parishad, opined that the political parties are accusing each other of the rape incidents at Muradnagar and Bhola. She emphasized that criminals have no political affiliation, and the women’s movement strongly opposes such politicization.
In her speech as the president, Dr. Fauzia Moslem explained that sexual violence, physical abuse, and the recording and broadcasting of such acts are all illegal and should be punished. She made it clear that the representation of violence against women should not be allowed in politics and that the practice of treating women as commodities in politics should be stopped. Women who fought in the war of liberation and voted in elections should not be seen as subjects of oppression in land grabbing and temple looting cases. It was her contention that the woman who was raped in Muradnagar was not alone; all women are also the sufferers together with her. Moslem stressed that her team would go to the last extent of their power to bring the criminals to justice and also called on the media to play their role together, as it is impossible to prevent widespread violence against women by women alone. She also requested media professionals to deliver news reports in a sensitive manner so that women do not have to undergo further humiliation through the publication of such news.
The event was attended by the leaders and officials of Bangladesh Mahila Parishad, the representatives from member organizations of the Social Action Committee, and journalists of the particular area.
The program was conducted by Jana Goswami, Director of Advocacy and Lobby at Bangladesh Mahila Parishad.
