A total of 228,357 cases were filed across the country over violence on women from 2001 to 2014, reveals a study showing an ever increasing trend of this type of crime. Of the total cases, 71,244 were filed for dowry, 1,955 for acid throwing, 42,430 for abducting women, 49,708 for rape, 406 for murder after rape, 2,258 for murder, 1,853 for physical torture, 1,559 for trafficking and 56,944 for other types violence against women. The study, conducted by Naripokkho, an organisation working for women’s welfare, also showed that Chittagong Women Children Repression and Prevention Tribunal-1 disposed a total of 1,814 cases for violence against women from January, 2014 to November, 2014 while the court convicted 125 accused in this type of cases and acquitted 1679.
The study report was made public at a view exchange meeting organised by Bangladesh Society for the Enforcement of Human Rights (BSEHR) and Naripokkho, Chittagong at Chittagong Press Club yesterday. Among others, judges, public prosecutors, lawyers, law enforcement agency officials, NGO representatives, victims and journalists were present. Manusher Jonna Foundation extended support for the programme. Haribun Nessa, member of Naripokkho, in her research paper based on information from police headquarters and tribunals presented the statistics of violence against women across the country. She also said that cases were not filed in many of the incidents of  violence against women fearing stigma.
Kishna Debnath, justice of High Court Division of the Supreme Court, in his chief guest’s speech said, “Victims cannot demand justice in due time; at the first time, family members try to hide the incident. The victim files a case only when the incident comes to light. By that time, evidence gets   destroyed and consequently, the investigation officer fails to submit the report properly though the incident was true.” “Males should not think females their opponents, but their partners,” he added.
Among others, Selim Miah, judge of Chittagong Women Children Repression and Prevention Tribunal-2, Senior Metropolitan Magistrate Shaidul Islam, Metropolitan Magistrate Muzahuidur Rahman, Advocate Sigma Huda, Secretary General of BSEHR, Rina Roy, director of Manusher Janno Foundation, public prosecutors of Chittagong courts, officials of law enforcement agencies, human rights activists and NGO representatives addressed the discussion.