No police stations in the capital have separate teams to assist the victims of sexual harassment, as required in line with a High Court order issued first in 2006. Even most of the police officials are not aware of the directive.
The police stations also do not have female prison cells. The women are generally kept at the duty officer’s room or temporary arrangements are made for the nights.
Police officials say that a shortage of manpower and unwillingness of high-ups are behind the absence of special teams for women victims.
According to High Court directives given in May 2006, May 2009 and January 2011, every police station must set up victim support cells to assist the sexually harassed women.
Statistics of different human rights organisations show that a large number of girls and women are sexually harassed in the city every day. Even police members have been involved in such incidents.
Incidents of stalking, rape, gang-rape, attempted rape, murder after rape and selling girls to brothels are rising. On the other hand, police are also accused of showing negligence in filing cases related to rape or sexual harassments.
In the 2011 directive, the High Court said: “Every police station in Bangladesh will have separate cell or team, designated only for the purpose of dealing with complaints/instances of sexual harassment in the streets, public places, shops, markets, stations or 28 terminals, bus, train, steamer (private or pubic) and any other transport and different neighbourhood areas.
“Particular attention should be given to the places and areas near schools, colleges and universities, parks, cinema halls, theatres, markets and shopping malls attended by the girls and women.”
According to Bangladesh Mahila Parishad, 667 women and girls were raped in the first 10 months this year whereas the number was 666 last year. Some 393 women and children were raped in 2009.
The gang-rape incidents are rising alarmingly. The number of gang-rape was 146 in 2009 while it reached 175 in October this year. Some 66 women were killed after murder in 2010. the number is 74 in the first 10 months.
Statistics show that the number of women sold to brothels by pimps, traffickers and their so-called lovers is also rising. The number of such incidents was 17 until October. It was 19 last year.
Rights body Ain o Salish Kendra has found that even law enforcers were involved in sexually harassing women. In 2013, seven police members were made accused in cases filed over four incidents of rape and attempted rape. An army personnel was also made accused in an incident of rape that year.
In 2014, seven such incidents took place. Among the accused were a constable, a RAB member and an army personnel.
Six incidents of rape and gang-rape took place until October this year.
Police officials said that they had been ordered to take strict action for the offences committed against women, and not to spare even if the accused is a police officer.
Several police officers said that when they learned about any girl sexually harassed, they take prompt action and send the girl to the victim support centre at Tejgaon. The female police officials attend them and the inspector (investigation) of the respective police station probes the matter.
Due to lack of facilities for women at the police stations, the on-duty officers usually send all the victims to the Tejgaon centre.
The VSC was set up under the Women Support and Investigation Centre (WSIC) in the city. The other centre would be set up in Rangamati. The government has plans to set up VSCs in all the divisional headquarters.
An OC of a city police station, seeking anonymity, told the Dhaka Tribune that they did not even have own building. “How can we deploy some police members for a special cause when we lack necessary manpower?” He also admitted that they had no separate cell for the female inmates.
Alimuzzaman Alim, officer-in-charge of Hazaribagh police, said that it was not feasible for the police station to run a new wing. And he added that they had women and children friendly officials.
At least 29 police stations out of the 49 in Dhaka do not have own building.
Deputy Commissioner (women support and investigation division) Farida Yeasmin told the Dhaka Tribune that the VSCs give prompt service. There are four teams operating in the capital, each led by a sub-inspector, to assist the sexually assaulted women.
When asked, she said that they were not authorised to monitor the issue. “It is a matter of decision from the DMP authorities. Only the commissioner and deputy commissioners of the DMP zones can take a fruitful step in this regard.”
Deputy Commissioner of DMP (media) Muntasirul Islam said that they had informed all the police stations about the High Court directives. He said that policemen found guilty of assaulting women would not be spared.
Meanwhile, Kamrul Hasan, public relation officer of Bangladesh Police, said that after the directives, women and children friendly officials were posted at the police stations. “Still, many police officers do not know about the directives mainly because of transfers or shuffles within the force,” he told the Dhaka tribune.