Country witnessing wholesale violence against women: BNP

Country witnessing wholesale violence against women: BNP

Bangladesh Nationalist Party senior joint secretary general Ruhul Kabir Rizvi on Saturday alleged that the country was witnessing wholesale violence against women and most of the oppressors were belonging to the ruling party.

He made the allegation while addressing a human chain programme in front of BNP central office at Naya Paltan in the capital.

Jatiyatabadi Mahila Dal arranged the programme protesting at the rape and murder of nurse Shahinur Akhter Tania inside a moving bus in Kishoreganj on May 6 and demanding highest punishment for the offenders.

Mahila Dal organised the protest programme when Bangladesh Mahila Parishad data showed that at least 401 women and girls faced violence in April. Of them 156 were raped, two were killed after rape and five committed suicide after being sexually harassed.

The BNP leader said that it was a matter of sorrow that the country was witnessing wholesale violence against women though the country’s prime minister and the speaker were women.

He alleged that the government was responsible to eliminate oppression against women but, at times, the government was seen to incite such incidents.

Rizvi alleged that ruling party men were involved in most of such offences and that is why the government was unable to resist these incidents.

Regarding enforced disappearance of BNP standing committee member Salauddin Ahmed, he said that May 11 was the date of his enforced disappearance and he fell victim to this as he was a popular and active politician and got elected as lawmaker for several times.

He said that BNP chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia was in jail for freedom of speech.

Presided over by Mahila Dal president Afroza Abbas, the human chain was also addressed by its general secretary Sultana Ahmed and leaders Jeba Khan and Helen Zerin Khan, among others.