Rights activists of Chittagong have reinstated their demands to ensure a safe transportation system for women, following the recent rape of a teenage apparel worker on a moving bus.
They have suggested that the authorities concerned must take concrete steps to prevent such abuse, such as bringing the public transport under close circuit camera surveillance and creating a database of transport workers.
Earlier on November 3, a teenager apparel worker filed a case with Chandgaon police, claiming she was raped by two transport workers at knife point on October 27.
According to the case statement, the girl was returning home along with three of her friends from Patenga beach on a public bus on that day.
When all but the victim had gotten off the bus at the Bahadderhat area, the bus assistant closed the gate and all the windows. Subsequently, the bus helper raped her at knife point, and the bus driver also raped the girl later.
Police have already arrested bus driver Rashedul Islam, 20, and his helper Imtiaj Uddin, 18, from Bahadderhat areof the city.
The victim has identified the duo after the arrests.
Chandgaon police station Officer-in-Charge Abul Bashar told the Dhaka Tribune: “The rape accused were produced before the court of Chittagong Metropolitan Magistrate Nazmul Hossain Chowdhury on November 4. They also gave a confessional statements and narrated the whole incident to the court.”
Meanwhile, Fight for Women's Rights organised a human chain in front of Chittagong Press Club on Monday, demanding exemplary punishment for the rapists.
Addressing the human chain, Advocate Rahana Begum Ranu said: “Exemplary punishment should be meted out to the culprits without delay.”
Public transport a discomfort for women commuters
Consulting firm “e.Gen Consultants Ltd” conducted a survey on the public transports of the port city from October 2016 to July 2017.
A total of 616 women were asked about the challenges facing women on public transport. Sixty percent of respondents said reserved seats for women in public transports were inadequate.
Nineteen percent of the women said they were harassed by other passengers while 4% expressed discomfort due to the behaviour of staff on public transports.
Leave a Comment