Urgent Call for Improved Safety Measures for Women and Children
On Wednesday, the Left Democratic Alliance (LDA), a coalition of six leftist political parties, along with rights activists, made a powerful appeal to the government to enhance the law and order situation and put an end to the oppression faced by women and children throughout the nation.
During separate demonstrations in the capital, they stressed the necessity for the government to implement effective actions that would expedite the legal process in rape cases, thus ensuring justice for the victims.
Rally Highlights
At the LDA rally held outside the National Press Club, Iqbal Kabir Jahid, the coordinator of the alliance and general secretary of the Revolutionary Communist League, criticized the interim government for its inability to maintain law and order over the past seven months. He noted a disturbing rise in incidents of violence against women and children across the country.
Jahid urged the government to take prompt measures to halt such repression and insisted that the next general election be conducted at the earliest opportunity.
Mihir Ghosh, Joint General Secretary of the Communist Party of Bangladesh, echoed these sentiments, urging the government to combat the rampant mob culture that has adversely affected many innocent individuals.
Protests Against Violence Towards Women
The Dhaka city unit of the Bangladesh Mahila Parishad organized a protest rally in the afternoon, decrying the alarming increase in incidents of rape and violence against women. Speakers at the rally expressed their grave concern over the heightened level of violence, stating that the country has not seen such an upsurge in these crimes before.
They highlighted the recent case of an eight-year-old girl in Magura, whose tragic death following brutal rape has sent shockwaves throughout the nation. Activists pointed to a culture of impunity and delays in justice as primary contributors to the rising tide of such crimes.
The horrific discovery of the girl in critical condition after being raped on March 5, while visiting her sister’s in-laws, resulted in her passing on March 13 during medical treatment, igniting widespread protests across the country.
