WUNRN
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Workers at the Acid Survivors Foundation express their
solidarity with acid victims to raise social awareness against the practice |
DHAKA, 5 January 2009 (IRIN) - Acid attacks against
women and girls are continuing despite legal campaigns to halt their spread.
Over 2,600 cases have been reported since 1999,
according to the Acid Survivors Foundation (ASF) of Bangladesh.
Almost all the attacks have been on women or girls. Many of the victims are
under 18, says ASF, which has been working to eliminate acid violence for
almost a decade.
The main reason for the violence is dowries, refusal of
love proposals, or land disputes, ASF said. Bent on revenge, perpetrators throw
acid into their victims’ faces in an effort to severely disfigure them, often
with horrifying results.
Nitric or sulphuric acid has a catastrophic effect on
human flesh, ASF said, resulting in skin tissue melting, often exposing the
bones below the flesh, and even dissolving bone.
Scarred for life and badly burned, many survivors also
lose their sight in one or both eyes. Others are so psychologically traumatised
they never recover.
Despite the viciousness of these attacks, many go
unreported: “Many incidents are never reported. [The] media covers only those
cases that go to court,” Rokhsana Akhter, an activist told IRIN in Dhaka,
adding: “The poor and powerless do not go to court. Their cases remain
unreported.”
Easy to buy
|
Efforts
to raise awareness and push for stronger government measures continue |
Despite the public outcry, purchasing acid is still not
difficult.
In Dhaka, sulphuric acid can be readily purchased for
just 44 US cents a pound (roughly half a litre), with nitric acid slightly
higher at 59 cents a pound.
“You just ask the traders for acid. They will provide
you with the required quantity,” Gopal Das, a goldsmith in the city’s
Tantibazar area, said.
Gopal uses nitric acid to melt gold. Since he only needs
a very small amount he has never bothered to obtain the now mandatory license.
Like Gopal, many jewellers, especially the small ones,
collect and use acid, making effective monitoring of this deadly material all
but impossible.
“The last time a mobile court raided this area was March
2008,” said Kazi Abdul Hamid, a shop owner selling chemicals in Goal Nagar, an
acid wholesale market in Dhaka.
“We should have a distinct monitoring team to control
acid use and sale; the fact is that we do not have one. Normally a mobile court
visits specific shops and issues or renews their licenses. I can’t tell you
when the last visit took place,” said Deputy Commissioner of Dhaka Mohammad
Zillar Rahman whose office is responsible for controlling and monitoring the
acid trade in the city.
“Enforcement remains weak. Perpetrators are still able
to procure acid on the open market,” said ASF executive director Monira Rahman.
Legal efforts
Efforts to combat the crime have had limited success.
In 2002, parliament enacted two laws against acid
violence: Under the Acid Control Act of 2002, the unlicensed production,
import, transport, storage, sale, and use of acid can result in a prison term
of 3-10 years. Those who possess chemicals and equipment for the unlicensed
production of acid can get the same prison term.
One doctor sounded an optimistic note: “Since then, acid
violence has been showing a rapid decline,” said Shamanta Lal Sen of the burns
and plastic surgery unit at Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH).
According to ASF, 221 and 192 people were subjected to
acid violence in 2006 and 2007 respectively. In 2000 and 2001 their number was
234 and 349 respectively.
Combating the crime
A number of organisations are working to combat the
crime, or mitigate its effects.
ASF and the DMCH burns unit are working to support
victims of acid attacks. BRAC (Building
Resources Across Communities), Bangladesh’s largest NGO, offers survivors
logistical assistance with access to health facilities. Legal aid
organisations, such as Ain o Salish Kendra, and the Bangladesh National Women Lawyers’
Association provide legal aid to acid victims. Prothom Alo, a popular
daily, raises funds for the treatment and rehabilitation of victims, as well as
campaigning against the crime.
According to rights groups, apart from Bangladesh, acid
attacks are common in a number of Asian countries, including Pakistan, India,
Afghanistan and Cambodia.
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