Next week, Bangladesh will observe the 51st Victory Day, the glorious day to commemorate the final victory over the occupied Pakistani army in the nine-month-long bloody war of independence in 1971. Bangladesh emerged as a sovereign country on December 16, 1971, after sacrificing the lives of three million people. Moreover, the occupied army and its local collaborators violated two hundred thousand women during the war. Destruction of physical infrastructure was almost uncountable also. Thus, the price of victory in the war of independence was quite high.
Bangladesh has, however, had remarkable success in the last five decades in transforming itself into a vibrant nation defying various odds. The country is now well ahead of many peer nations in major socio-economic indicators and set an example of positive change. At the same time, it is also disheartening to learn that the country is yet to provide comprehensive security to women and children. It is one of the significant drawbacks of the development journey of Bangladesh.
Undoubtedly, women in Bangladesh have advanced a lot and made their positions strong in various fields thanks to their dedication and support from consecutive governments. Moreover, they have proved their mettle by breaking the taboo of a conservative society and fighting against a male-dominated social structure.
Nevertheless, it is awfully sad that women in the country are not adequately safe. The authorities often make tall claims about women's security and empowerment. However, the ground reality is disturbing and disappointing. Women feel unsafe and insecure in most places, whether inside their residences or outside such as in educational institutions, offices, shopping centres and streets. Many girls and women face different types of harassment in these places only because they are female. Physical and verbal assaults are everyday phenomena. Sometimes those turn into the worst form of violence like rape and murder.
In most cases, women do not protest or resist, mainly due to non-cooperation from others. Women also do not seek the intervention of law enforcement agencies due to ineffective implementation of laws, inefficient police investigation and disappointing police attitude. Instead, they accept the bad behaviour and maltreatment silently.
The sad part is that most men also do not raise their voices against the predators and try to avoid physical confrontations. Gone are the days when some people used to move ahead, protest and even resist the eve teasers or attackers. Society has changed a lot, mainly due to political distortion and economic disparity. Over the decades, these two factors have pushed society to become more self-centred and less cooperative. One of the outcomes is the squeezed space for social resistance and public protest. The criminals and goons are more powerful now as they care little about social manners and law.
The insecurity of women needs to be analysed in such a changed context. It is shameful that girls and women are vulnerable to various anti-social crimes and violence. The relentless and classless violence seriously impacts the physical, mental and emotional health of girls and women. There is also a trend of victim-blaming or shaming, which puts women in further difficulty.
