Enact domestic violence act, speakers urge govt
The government must speedily pass the domestic violence act and recognise prostitution as a profession to prevent repression against women, said speakers at a discussion yesterday.
Care Bangladesh organised the discussion on the findings of a three-year project fashioned Protirodh (resistance) at the city's Brac Centre Inn.
Dr Hamida Hossain, a human right activist and chairperson of Ain O Salish Kendra, said speedy enactment of the domestic violence act and its proper enforcement would help deter violence against women, citing similar law in India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and Malaysia.
The project was implemented in three district headquarters---Dhaka, Khulna and Tangail and three upazilas of Dinajpur with certain pilot programmes to prevent violence against sex workers, domestic violence and child marriage.
The project period comes to end today.
Joya Shikder, president of Sex Workers Network of Bangladesh, said that sex work must be recognised as a profession and treated with dignity.
Aklima Begum, project director of Protirodh in Tangail and president of Narimukti Sangha of the district said sex workers are repressed by various classes of people, including local thugs, political activists and those in the administration.
In 14 percent of the cases, police violate sex workers, traffickers, pimps and sex workers leaders are responsible for violence in 23 and 20 percent of the cases respectively, according to the final report on the project.
AKM Shahidul Hoque, commissioner of Dhaka metropolitan police, said that it is not clear in the report how police repress the sex workers.
Prostitution is not legally recognised as a profession in Bangladesh, he said adding, "But sex business is going on in the country."
However, a woman aged 18 years has the rights to make a declaration before a first class magistrate to take up prostitution as a profession.
A total of 14,282 cases of women repression were recorded with police stations in 2008 while 12, 832 in the following year and 10,33 until August this year.
Abul Hossain, project director of a project on prevention of women and child repression in the ministry of women and children affairs, said the domestic violence act is supposed to be passed in the next session of the parliament.
For all latest news, follow The Daily Star's Google News channel. 
Related News
Boy found dead in Ctg monastery
5 July 2022, 18:00 PM
Crime & Justice
Eid joy marred by tragedy
5 July 2022, 18:00 PM
Bangladesh
Sitakunda Blast: Who started the fire?
5 July 2022, 18:00 PM
Accidents & Fires
Railway’s east zone reels from manpower crisis
5 July 2022, 18:00 PM
Transport
Barred from rally at Suhrawardy, BNP to hold protest across country tomorrow
13 November 2016, 07:30 AM
Politics
Comments