Yasmin’s mother Farida Begum responded when contacted over phone recently. It She had just finished her daily chores. Farida, 54, works as a part-time domestic help in three houses from morning to afternoon with a mid-day break.
At one point in the phone conversation, she murmured, “Why has repression not stopped! Just having rallies will not work! The repressors must be frightened.”
When asked if she was suggesting awareness building on resistance against women repression, she replied, “Yes”.
The girl Yasmin from Dinajpur district is still remembered as a symbol of abused woman and a source of inspiration to protest collectively against the crime.
On 24 August 1995, Yasmin was gang raped and murdered by three patrolling policemen while the 13-year-old girl was returning to her Dinajpur home from Dhaka. Rights activists of Bangladesh observe 24 August as the resistance day against repression of woman.
People from across the country took to the streets, demanding justice for Yasmin. The family of the victim got justice. In 2004, the three convicted police personnel were executed.
Concerned citizens including educationists, lawyers and victims of repression, have observed that Bangladesh is far behind achieving the objectives and goals for why the people remember Yasmin. The social dogma demeaning to the dignity of woman instigates repression. Besides, there are few examples of punishment on woman repression.
Taslima Yasmin, associate professor at Dhaka University’s law department, told Prothom Alo that the laws prohibiting violence against women barely have any impact except creating a sense of security. Only 3-4 per cent of the rape victims get justice. The legal procedures including the law enforcement are yet to be held accountable properly. The growing violence against women will be checked with visible effectiveness of the law.
Bangladesh Mahila Parishad’s Dinajpur district unit organised a human-chain along the Dashmail Road in the district to mark the day. Kaniz Rahman, president of the unit, said violence against women could be resisted if all the incidents, like the Yasmin murder, saw similar collective reaction.
Yasmin was the eldest child of Farida Begum. If she had survived, Yasmin would have been 39 years old now. Farida has two sons. The family lives at Golapbagh village under Dinajpur sadar upazila. Farida said she would arrange special prayers at her home today to seek eternal peace for Yasmin.
Raping increases by 122 per cent in three years
According to the non-government legal rights watchdog Ain O Salish Kendra (ASK), violence against women has increased remarkably in last three years. Rape incidents have increases by 122 per cent (in 2020) since 2018. Following news reports, ASK documented 732 rape incidents in 2018, 1,413 in 2019 and 1,627 in 2020.
On 13 October last year, the government amended the Women and Children Repression Prevention Act, incorporating death penalty for rape. Despite the amendment, rape has not been checked. Other types of violence against women are also growing.
According to ASK, at least four police men were accused of rape in 2018, three in 2019, four in 2020 and four this year so far.
In February 2019, a case was filed with the Saturia police station, accusing two police men of rape. The then inspector (investigation) at the police station, Abul Kalam, investigated the rape incident. Abul Kalam, and Ashraful Alam, the present office-in-charge of the station, said a case was filed against the two policemen. The accused are now freed on bail, but suspended from their duties.
In May this year, a Bangladeshi woman was raped by police at an isolation centre in Khulna. The victim was in quarantine after returning from India. Talking about the rape case, Khulna Metropolitan Police additional deputy commissioner Sonali Sen told Prothom Alo that the investigating officer is waiting for the victim’s DNA test report before submitting a charge sheet. The accused police man is in jail.
Weakness of trial process
A senior legal officer at Bangladesh Legal Aid and Services Trust (BLAST), Sharmin Akhter, told Prothom Alo that the penal code becomes weak when the police fail to collect proper evidence. Due to such weakness, criminals are acquitted from the charges. Besides, the main witnesses of the cases are reluctant to appear before the court as there is no protection for them. Less than 10 per cent of the rape allegations can be proved even after being brought before the court.
The public prosecutor at Women and Children Repression Prevention Tribunal-3 in Dhaka, Mahmuda Akhter, observes that victims from poor families face huge challenges while bringing witnesses before the court. Most of the witnesses remain floating having no permanent address. The accused persons get bail due to prolonged absence of the witnesses.
*The original report appeared in the online and print editions of Prothom Alo, has been rewritten by Sadiqur Rahman.