Editorial
Thoroughly Condemnable
A group of youngsters indulged in the orgy of pushing, shoving and stripping a young woman, something that sounds more like a raunchy sequence of a mainstream commercial movie than reality; and it should. Unfortunately, it did occur in reality and, that too, on the campus of such a prestigious educational institution as Dhaka University. Sadly still, it happened in the early hours of the New Year's Day when the whole world greeted not only a new year but also a new century and a new millennium. Last-minute intervention of the police may have prevented further indignity and injury to the hapless woman's person; but the incident certainly leaves a dark stain on our collective sensitivity and sensibility. It points at the fast-waning moral fabric of our society.
Similar incidents of assault on young women and attempt at disrobing them during New Year celebrations had taken place in the past. Only last year, a woman was harassed in the Mahakhali-Banani area. So, why must some girls always risk it out on new year nights? We wonder.
It appears to have become part of some perverse minds' perception of fun. This sordid syndrome is not New Year celebrations-specific either. There have been reports of harassment at concerts and other function, not to speak of the shopping places. On the whole, respect for women appears to be dwindling fast in the society.
As for the incident on New Year's night, we are at a loss of words to express our condemnation. Although doubly demeaning, different news dailies have carried pictures of the incident with a view to helping the authorities identify the culprits. We hope they will act on that, trace the perpetrators and mete out severe punishment to them.
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