'Easy availability raises acid violence'
Speakers at a meeting held here yesterday said acid violence is increasing day by day due to easy availability of acid.
Acid Survivors Foundation (ASF) organised the view-exchange meeting for journalists at Pabna Press Club auditorium in the morning.
Pabna Press Club president chaired the meeting.
Without having license, trade, storage and transport of acid should be stopped, they said.
They revealed that 2676 incidents of acid violence occurred in the country in nine years from 1999 to 2008. Of them, 1337 were women victims, they said.
During the period, 51 incidents of acid attack happened in the district, they said. Of them, 30 victims are women, they said.
They said most of the cases are settled through negotiation in exchange of money. As a result, many criminals are released without punishment, they said.
They stressed on strict enforcement of Acid Control Act to resist the crime.
Only one criminal in one case was sentenced to life term imprisonment in the district under Acid Violence Control Act-2002, they said.
Accused persons of 11 out of 16 cases were acquitted and five others were released in the district, they also said.
Among others, Pabna Press Club secretary Utpol Mirza, Advocate Ahasan Habib Sohel of ASF, Advocate Amirul Haque, co-coordinator of Bangladesh Legal Aid Services Trust (Blast) Advocate Alamgir Hossain, Advocate Jinat Ara Chowdhuri, Prothom Alo staff reporter Faruk Hossain Choudhuri, Samakal staff reporter ABM Fazlur Rahman addressed.
For all latest news, follow The Daily Star's Google News channel.
Comments