Violence against women increases in Kushtia

According to data available from police record and different NGOs, at least 275 incidents of violence on women took place in the district last year against 195 in 2004 and 182 in 2003.

At least 82 women committed suicide last year, up from 20 in the previous year and 14 in 2003. Most of the suicide victims were housewife and the main reason behind the incidents was torture by husbands and their families for dowry, according to studies by some NGOs.

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"Most of the suicide incidents are due to violence," said the executive director of Mukti Nari-O-Shishu Unnayan Sangstha.

Husbands were responsible for violence in most of the cases. Other family members were also found involved in torture for dowry. In a few cases, poverty was behind torture by husbands, NGO sources said.

According to sources at Kushtia General Hospital, at least 45 women were treated after they took poison to commit suicide last year and 22 died in the hospital.

In most of the incidents, no case was filed by victims' relatives. Police recorded those as 'unnatural deaths', the sources said.

Police said murder cases were filed with the six police stations in only 35 of the 82 incidents of suicide last year. Eighteen murder cases were filed in 2004 and 19 in 2003.

Charge sheet is yet to be submitted in any of the 35 murder cases filed last year, they said.

Only two cases were investigated and charge sheet submitted in 18 cases in 2004, police said.