The government is planning to establish a separate investigation cell in police force for swift investigation in cases concerning violence against women.While addressing a seminar on ‘Responsibility of the state in preventing violence against women: Ten years experience’, State Minister for Law Md Quamrul Islam yesterday said the cell will comprise police officers designated exclusively for investigation.

There are also plans for speedy disposal of the cases currently under trial as well as to modernise medical services for women victims, he added.

Blaming the previous government for targeted violence against the women of the minority community, he said the number of violence against women during the period between 2001 and 2006 was very high.

The seminar was organised by Naripakkha to mark the International Day of Protest Against Violence Against Women at IDB auditorium.

Speakers at the seminar said according to the police headquarters record, there were 115,493 incidents of violence against women during the years from 2001 to 2008.

In 2007 and 2008, some 7,321 cases of violence against women were lodged in the police stations, the highest 2,678 were related to dowry, the second highest number about 1,707 was related to rape while 1,377 was kidnapping of women.

The speakers called for an amendment to Women and Children Repression Act and Police Ordinance to prevent violence against women.

Home Secretary Abdus Sobhan Sikder, Akhter Hossain Bhuiyan, director of hospital and clinic of DGHS, Tamanna Khan, chairperson, Rita Das Roy, convener of Naripakkha, also spoke.

Meanwhile, Bangladesh Human Rights Foundation (BHRF) organised a discussion at the National Press Club to mark the International Day of Protest Against Violence Against Women.

Presenting a keynote paper, Advocate Elena Khan, chief executive of BHRF, said there is an urgent need for a separate law to prevent psychological persecution of women.

Justice AHM Shamsuddin Chowdhury, High Court Division of the Supreme Court, said there is a vacuum in the legal arena regarding issues related to psychological torture of women in the country. The issue should be brought under a special law.

Advocate AMFS Islam, member of BHRF trustee board, Fatema Begum, DIG, Special Branch, Nazmul Haque, DIG, CID, and Advocate Asaduzzaman of Supreme Court also spoke.

Source: http://www.thedailystar.net

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