Bicycle procession and rally to stop violence against women held in Noakhali

803

NOAKHALI, Nov 25, 2020 (BSS): A bicycle procession cum mass rally with the main slogan ‘Wake up Bangladesh against Rape, Sexual Abuse and all types of Violence against Women’ was held at Deputy Commissioner’s (DC) office premises today .

Participants in the bicycle procession and rally demanded an end to rape and sexual harassment and all types of violence against women.

They called for ensuring safe environment for women at home-office-public place-transport, banning anti-women rhetorical comments from all mass assembly including religious gatherings and launching judicial investigations into cases of sexual harassment,

As part of global campaign to prevent violence against women, Participatory Research Action Network-PRAN, Noakhali District Scout and Action Aid Bangladesh has initiated the Cycle procession with support of the United Nations Population Fund- UNFPA.

DC, Noakhali Mohammad Khorshed Alam Khan, inaugurated the bicycle procession in front of Bangabondhu Square in the district town.

DC said this is the high time to raise massive awareness among people to come forward together preventing violence against women.

“Such abuse can be stopped when the common people including students, youth, workers and people from all spheres of society wake up and I hope it will certainly be possible to build a Bangladesh free from violence against women.

Alamgir Hossain, Superintendent of Police, Noakhali Additional Deputy Commissioner Ishrat Sadnin (General) addressed as special guests while Nur Nahar Rini, an Woman Rights activist , Ahmed Hossain Dhonu, Secretary of Noakhali District Scout, Nurul Alam Masud, Chief Executive Officer of PRAN among others spoke on the occasion.

The organizers said that the incidents of violence against women have got a frightful increase in Noakhali district recently. There were 41 incidents including 19 rapes occurred in Noakhali district October alone. .

The speakers stressed the need for implementation of anti-violence cell in all government and non-government institutions including educational institutions as per the directions of High Court, signing and complete implementation of CEDAW, abortion of all laws and practices discriminatory to women, ending psychological abuse-harassment of victims during investigation, inclusion of criminologists and gender experts in Women and Children Repression Prevention Tribunal and fostering swift disposal of all pending cases by amplifying the number of tribunals to stop violence against women and children .

More than 150 youths from different parts of the district participated in anti-violence bicycle procession.

The procession started from Bangabandhu Square and ended at District Shilpakala Academy after parading main streets of district town