Editorial
Curbing acid violence
Survivors speak up, prevention emphasised
The acid survivors' convention held in association with ActionAid Bangladesh, Acid Survivors' Foundation (ASF), Channel-i, The Prothom Alo and Persona have put forward some concrete suggestions for the sake of their collective wellbeing and dignified living in society.
Their dire need for medical treatment involves two steps: one is having adequate number of burn units and treatment facilities at all thana health complexes and hospitals. Even bigger hospitals lack these facilities so that the social welfare department of the government and private sector philanthropists should come forward in financing and sponsoring such units in outlying areas. Secondly, local capacity for plastic surgery has to be built up in collaboration with suitable foreign technical assistance.
They must be helped with access to education, especially vocational, and given career counselling and guidance with quota allocated in government and other services.
Society needs to be sensitised about treating them with respect and tenderness for helping them cope with their tragedy.
Basically, all impediments to speedy trial of acid cases, including threats to the security of witnesses, will have to be eliminated for law to take its course.
Prevention should receive the priority it deserves. Alongside alleviating the plight of acid victims there must be synchronised efforts at the community, local body, civil society, school and college levels to create a social movement against the menace by way of preventing it happening. The issue can be included in SSC and HSC curricula.
Media, both electronic and print, is playing a useful role in enhancing public sensitivity against the malady, a campaign they can invigorate even more to give fillip to the cause for social movement that the civil society considers necessary to meet the challenge.
Acid violence can be drastically curbed if the availability of acid is regulated and a monitoring system is put in place by law enforcement agencies.
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