Give him the punishment he deserves

We are relieved to know that ex-Chhatra League leader Arif Hossain Howlader has finally been arrested for allegedly raping six women. Arif, who was the general secretary of Narayanpur union BCL under Bhedarganj upazila of Shariatpur, took footage of the heinous acts through hidden cameras, blackmailed the women, and later released the video clips online. While we laud the police for successfully apprehending the ex-BCL leader who evaded arrest for more than a month, we cannot help but wonder how such a person became general secretary of BCL and whether other members of the organisation who have committed similar crimes and are still at large, will face the punishment they deserve.

As we already know, cases of sexual harassment and assault carried out by men donning the BCL tag, who are hardly ever held accountable for their actions, are far too common. There is no doubt that Arif's audacity, too, grew out of the comfort of knowing that his political affiliation would shield him from any legal consequences. Due to victims' reluctance to file cases fearing stigma and ostracisation and the law enforcement's failure to follow through with the cases that have been filed, among other factors, men like Arif become further emboldened. Thanks to one of the six women who lodged a case against Arif under the Women and Children Repression Prevention Act, he is now in police custody.

Violence against women is pervasive in our society and perpetrators are rarely punished; but it is also true that being affiliated with the political elite provides an extra layer of protection to these criminals who are certain that they will get away with sexual assault on women. This cannot be the norm in any democratic society. Mere suspension or expulsion from an organisation is not enough punishment for someone who has committed a serious crime as rape and blackmail. We sincerely hope that Arif's case will be followed through, that he will get the punishment he deserves and that this will be an example for others that they cannot get away with such deplorable acts, no matter how well connected they are to the politically powerful.