Incidents of women’s harassment part of conspiracy, hints Rizvi

Incidents of harassment of women across the country could occur as part of a conspiracy to make Bangladesh known to the world as a very conservative country, said BNP Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi on Saturday.

“Currently women are suffering from insecurity on the roads, they are also being subjected to adverse behaviour online.”

The government should take appropriate action on all these issues to ensure that militancy does not rise in any way, the senior BNP leader said these at a press conference at BNP’s Nayapaltan central office.

Expressing serious concern over the alarming rise in harassment and violence against women, Rizvi urged the government to take immediate action to prevent the rise of extremism.

“May evil forces not arise in the path of our modern progress and development,” the BNP leader added.

The BNP leader lamented that women from all walks of life, including students and female workers, are being subjected to eve-teasing, molestation and sexual harassment in various places, including on the streets and in educational institutions.

“Women are being raped, tortured and killed. The culture of harassment and attacks on women, coupled with the overall impunity that has developed, has become a threat to the stability and harmony of the state,” he observed.

Rizvi said it is necessary to find out why women’s dignity and security are being undermined now through social degradation and whether there is any intentional conspiracy behind this.

He further said, “The government needs to see how those, who are legally banned, hold processions. The government needs to ensure that militancy does not get in the way of progress.”