DT e-Paper, Friday, Decdember 2, 2016

VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN
Mindset needs to
be changed
• SM Najmus Sakib
Masculine mindset is needed
to change besides awareness
building within family and
society to defence violence
against women, said participants
at a roundtable discussion
yesterday.
Women are facing discriminations
in job, education and
all other fields and to overcome
this males have more
responsibilities, Dr Nasreen
Ahmad, pro-vice chancellor
of University of Dhaka, said at
the discussion titled “Rise up
for women.”
Organised by Radio Shadhin
92.4FM at the Nabab
Nawab Ali Chowdhury Senate
Bhaban of Dhaka University,
the roundtable was part of a
daylong initiative that included
poetry recitation, children’s
art competition and concert
promoting women. The organisers
also held a seminar
jointly with the UNDP.
Dr Nasreen Ahmad observed
that more academic studies
were needed to know and unearth
the social and state discriminations
against women.
Khurshid Alam, assistant
country director for climate
change and environment resilient
cluster of UNDP Bangladesh,
said scopes for young
girls to prove themselves were
not yet enough. Family, society
and the state have responsibilities
to open safe movement
for women.
“Use of veil among women
has grown since the 1990s and
this is an obstacle for women’s
free movement. This is
causing them to lag behind,”
said Sara Zaker of Asiatic360.
“Society is using religious sentiment
to impose these things
on women saying these will
ensure their safety.”
She said violence against
women has rather increased
than before.
Students of different universities
observed there is no
certain act or rule to take legal
action against stalking and
other formats of harassing
women at workplace, education
institutions and public
transports.
Deputy Police Commissioner
Farida Yasmen said it
is very tough job for law enforcement
to remove violence
against women from society.
Family and society have to
change their way of thinking
by treating boys and girls
equally, she added.
“Most of the cases of sexual
harassment lodged with police
stations show that these crimes
are done by those known to
the victims. So, the change in
mindset needs to start from
within the family,” she said.
The process of justice itself
is unjust, said activist Muktasree
Chakma Sathi. She said
violence against women in hill
tracts has deteriorated mostly
perpetrated by the Bangalis
and the powerful.
Badhon, a female student
of Ahasanullah University of
Science and Technology, alleged
that there were no safe
playgrounds for the female
children.
Participants of the discussion
demanded safe cities for
female children and women.
Among others, Seema Johur,
vice-president of Mohila
Ainjibi Somiti, Aziza Ahmed,
CEO of Prothom-Alo Trust,
and Udisa Islam, journalist of
Bangla Tribune, addressed the
event. •
News 5
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 2, 2016
Khaleda pleads not guilty in graft case
• Md Sanaul Islam Tipu
BNP Chairperson and former prime
minister Khaleda Zia yesterday rejected
the charges brought against her in
Zia Charitable Trust graft case claiming
that she was innocent.
She made the claim appearing before
the Dhaka’s Third Special Judge’s
Court to defend herself against the
charge of abusing power as a prime
minister in managing funds for the
Trust, named after her late husband
Ziaur Rahman – the BNP founder.
Judge Md Abu Ahmed Jamadar read
out the charges against Khaleda and
the testimonies of the 32 prosecution
witnesses. The court then asked her
to place her version about the charges
and the depositions.
In response, Khaleda told the court
that she would present a written statement
and produce defence witnesses.
From the statement, she said that
the spirit of the War of Independence
was deviated and the people’s civic
rights stated in the constitution infringed.
Khaleda claimed that more than
75,000 leaders and activists of her party
were languishing in jail on different
terms and 25,000 false cases were filed
MEHEDI HASAN
DT
against 400,000 leaders and activists
across the country.
“The entire country has now made
a giant jail,” she said.
At one stage of her statement,
Khaleda stopped her speech for the
day and sought time to the court mentioning
that she would place the remaining
portion of her speech on the
next scheduled date.
Accepting her time petition, the
court fixed December 8 for next hearing
in the case.
The three-time former premier
arrived at the makeshift courtroom
at the capital’s Bakshibazar around
11:30am amid tight security.
Earlier in the day, the lawyer
of Khaleda’s son and BNP Senior
Vice-Chairman Tarique Rahman cross
examined the investigation officer of
the Zia Orphanage Trust case. •
TEMPERATURE FORECAST FOR TODAY
Dhaka 29 18 Chittagong 29 20 Rajshahi 30 18 Rangpur 28 16 Khulna 30 17 Barisal 29 18 Sylhet 29 15
Cox’s Bazar 30 21
DRY WEATHER
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 2
DHAKA
TODAY
TOMORROW
SUN SETS 5:11PM
SUN RISES 6:26AM
YESTERDAY’S HIGH AND LOW
32.2ºC
14.8ºC
Teknaf
Sreemangal
Source: Accuweather/UNB
PRAYER
TIMES
Fajr: 5:50am | Jumma: 1:15pm
Asr: 4:00pm | Magrib: 5:22pm
Esha: 7:30pm
Source: Islamic Foundation