Acid survivors for budgetary allocations
Acid survivors at a dialogue have demanded of the government to allocate money in the upcoming budget for ensuring treatment, legal and rehabilitation supports to them and for creating awareness on the issue.
ActionAid, an NGO, organised the dialogue titled “Allocation for the Acid Survivors at National Budget: Do we really think of them?” at Jatiya Press Club in the city yesterday.
The demand of budgetary allocation also has been made for a burn unit at every medical college and hospital to ensure immediate treatment for the victims of acid violence.
Acid survivors from the network of the NGO, “Building Bridge,” pointed out their problems they have been facing to get health, legal and rehabilitation supports.
“Even after nine years of falling victim of acid violence I am struggling to get justice. The man who threw acid on me is now released on bail and threatening me to withdraw the case,” said Mukta Rani from Dinajpur.
She added that her husband as a tea stall owner finds it impossible to continue the case. If money is allocated for them in the national budget, she could hope to run the case for getting justice, said Mukta.
Purnima Mondol of Shatkhira, another victim of acid violence, said she had to withdraw the case for lack of money as nobody stayed beside her. She is still struggling to earn her livelihoods.
The government should have mechanisms to support these acid survivors and bring them under the state-run social safety net projects on priority basis, said the speakers.
At the same time, the government should ensure proper distribution of the allocation applying strong monitoring system, said the speakers.
“Though the National Acid Control Council [a government body] has got Tk 4 crore to be distributed among the acid survivors, it could not distribute one forth of the allocation in the last two years,” said Tahmina, an acid survivor and employee of Acid Survivors Foundation.
Dr Abul Hossain, project director of Women and Children Repression Affairs Multisectoral Programme, said the funds cannot be disbursed quickly due to some legal constraints.
Farah Kabir, country director of ActionAid Bangladesh, moderated the session.
Dr Samantalal Sen, chief coordinator of Burn Unit of Dhaka Medical College and Hospital, Quamrunnahar of Naripakkha and Shaheen Akhter Dolly of Nari Moitree also spoke at the dialogue.
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