Control sale of acid
Despite the acid law being enforced through the Acid Control Act, 2002, the support of different NGOs and the extensive media coverage of acid violence in Bangladesh have still not been able to stop this heinous crime. The number of acid attacks has greatly decreased over the years, but the challenge ahead is the most difficult: to eradicate acid violence from the country.
The root causes of the acid attacks are lack of awareness and availability of acid. I think that we are doing our best to create awareness, but we are lagging behind to restrain the easy access to acid. Issuing licence to the acid purchasers may help, but strict monitoring is required, which the government is unable to provide. Therefore, acid sellers are frequently selling acid to unlicensed customers for more profit.
In such a state, when hundreds of lives are being shattered every year, I think that it is high time that the government takes the matter more seriously. I believe that the government should nationalise the acid selling business. With the sale of acid being under the government's constant supervision, the sale to unauthorized customers is likely to decrease. However, the government should ensure that corruption is prevented from its side by leaving the job to responsible officials. If this can be arranged, then that day will not be far away when no more innocent faces will be burnt by acid.
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