Back with vengeance
It was the height of barbarism perpetrated on a visiting family passing the night at their brother-in-law's house at Araihazar in Narayanganj. A band of acid throwers who had come looking for Mozammel Haque with whom they had an inimical relationship hurled the lethal liquid on the parents and their infant burning them severely. So blinded by rancour, vicious with intent and hell-bent on harming people were they that who fell victims to their heinous act hardly mattered to them. Such has become the manifestly dehumanised dimension of acid throwing.
Going by media reports of last one month, there have been several incidents of acid victimisation, indicating a level of recurrence that must set alarm bell ringing for all concerned. Although most incidents stemmed from dowry demands and unrequited fascination towards girls; these also took place as backlashes of hostile relationships in other forms.
Much as we have had welled up emotions in sympathy for the victims, we have hardly been able to effectively combat the menace. There has to be a two-pronged containment strategy: involvement of the community and rigorous enforcement of law in terms of curbs on availability of acid, preparing fool-proof prosecution of offenders and their eventual conviction and punishment.
At the community level, messages for sensitisation against the crime are to be dinned into the ears of the youth, particularly the wayward among them. Of real practical value would be the community coming forward to stand witness against the offenders without fear or favour so that they can be prosecuted effectively. Many investigations fell through because of lack of witness, even though the offenders were all too known in the locality.
There is provision for capital punishment with a huge potential for deterrence that may be utilised. By all means, we must find ways to make availability of acid difficult and contingent upon pursuit of genuine business.
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