Red rug to a local AL leader?
His alleged assault on a woman upazila vice-chairman calls for stern action
THE only 'fault' of Shamsunnahar Dolly, the vice-chairman of Dasmina upazila in Patuakhali district in the eye of the local organising secretary of AL Iqbal Mahmud, seemed to be that the former raised a legitimate concern at a coordination committee meeting over graft suspected to have been committed behind the collapse of an under-construction local college building. She could barely finish proposing formation of a committee to probe the incident including alleged misuse of 30 tonnes of rice allotted to the development of a college playground, when an enraged AL leader swooped on her. He hurled abusive language at her, and adding insult to injury, she reportedly got manhandled, too.
It was a despicable outrage committed on three levels: first, it was an instance of taking the spilled beans on one's own body as the allegations apparently hit the bull's eye and perpetrating crudest form of maltreatment on the dignity of the person of a woman who is also an elected functionary, that too, in front of the upazila nirbahi officer and the upazila chairman. Second, it was an ugly manifestation of arrogance of power through a terrorisation of a conscientious objector who was basically carrying out an official function. Thirdly, it made a mockery of empowerment of women that was thought to have been heralded by offering women the position of upazila vice-chairmanships.
As a matter of fact, this brings to a glaring light the vulnerabilities of women in our society even though they may be occupying a high public position. Just when she made bold to demand a probe against corruption breaking out of the marginalisation shell, she falls victim to tyranny in presence of the upazila nirbahi officer and the chairman who could not resist the perpetrator. Police had to be called in -- how scandalous!
This is also a proof of how slack the central leadership's grip over the functioning of local unit office bearers. The are apt to tyrannise anybody that stand between them and fulfillment of their corrupt agenda. Allegations have been rife of plunder of rice allotted to different development projects under test relief and food for work programmes. These allegation must be gone into on a wider scale in order to safeguard and enhance public credibility over the government's diverse development activities.
By his utterly reprehensible behaviour the AL leader has evoked a reaction that can only seek legal action against him after a thorough probe as well as an action from AL hierarchy to make a deterrent example of it so that no one can take law into one's own hands, and be disdainful to a woman dignity, whatever may be his party loyalty standing.
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