ASK condemns public assault on women in Munshiganj, demands action
The organisation urges the govt to act swiftly to prevent violence against women, ensure their safety
Ain o Salish Kendra (ASK), a leading human rights organisation, has strongly condemned a recent incident in Munshiganj where two women were brutally assaulted in public on a passenger launch.
The organisation is calling on the government to take immediate and effective steps to prevent violence against women and ensure their safety and freedom of movement, according to a press release issued today, signed by ASK's Senior Coordinator Abu Ahmed Faijul Kabir.
The incident occurred on 9 May on a launch travelling from Dhaka to Lalmohan and back with approximately 300 passengers. A group of 20-25 teenagers and young men and women, who had rented cabins for a picnic, were attacked around 8pm when the launch anchored at Munshiganj.
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According to media reports, members of the local Anti-Discrimination Student Movement Committee boarded the vessel and assaulted the picnicking group. During this attack, at least two young women were severely beaten.
A video circulating on social media shows Nehal Ahmed Jihad, a well-known figure in the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement in Munshiganj, repeatedly beating two female passengers with a belt. The video also depicts a crowd of 50 to 60 men of various ages recording the assault on their phones, cheering and chanting slogans.
ASK expressed deep concern over the incident, stating that it is a grave violation of human rights, especially as it occurred in front of numerous witnesses. The organisation highlighted that Sections 323 and 325 of the Bangladesh Penal Code criminalise causing harm to another person.
They also expressed concern over the troubling lack of sensitivity towards women and the disturbing cruelty shown by some individuals in society.
The rights group noted that this incident is not isolated, as women across Bangladesh face daily threats of unwanted and violent acts, leading to an unstable and fearful environment. ASK emphasised the urgent need for a genuine commitment and effective action to combat violence against women.
The organisation stressed that a woman's freedom, right to make choices, and right to movement are constitutionally guaranteed and recognised by international conventions. The public beating of women in a society that should protect their dignity, rights, and safety is deeply alarming and unacceptable, according to ASK.
ASK called for legal action against those responsible for the assault in Munshiganj and demanded measures to ensure the safety of the victims.
The organisation also urged the implementation of a zero-tolerance policy against violence toward women and called on the government and all relevant stakeholders to take necessary steps to protect women's rights, stressing that such incidents undermine the principles of an inclusive and non-discriminatory society.
