Due to police failure, 88 percent of the people accused in acid violence cases in the last 12 years are still at large, according to Acid Survivors Foundation.
According to data revealed by the organisation yesterday, from 2002 to 2013, police arrested only 590 people, a mere 12 percent, out of as many as 4,926 accused in 1,891 cases filed across the country. Furthermore, 13 people in 12 such cases received the death penalty over the last 12 years, but none has been executed yet.
The data has been collected from the home ministry's monitoring cell that deals with acid violence cases.
The data was revealed at a national conference on legal assistance for acid survivors held at the capital's Brac Centre Inn.
ASF and Brac jointly organised the conference attended, among others, by survivors of acid attacks, public prosecutors, law enforcing agency members and officials of the organisation. The data also shows that police submitted charge sheets in 1,128 cases but only 293 accused received punishment while 1,687 were acquitted. However, the data also showed a gradual decrease in acid attacks over the years with 85 attacks, the lowest in 12 years, recorded last year.
Selina Ahmed, executive director of the organisation, said proper implementation of law and punishment of those accused are needed to ensure justice for the victims.