Welcoming the ongoing movement seeking the punishment of those indulging in repression on women, State Minister for Women and Children Affairs Fazilatunnesa Indira on Wednesday advocated for the provision of capital punishment for rapists.
"I think, if a rapist is found guilty of it, they must be hanged. I welcome those who have taken to the streets protesting the rape incidents and seeking the toughest punishment for the rapists,” she said.
Talking to reporters at her office at the Bangladesh Secretariat, Indira, however, said the demonstrators should not have any ulterior motives.
Stating that 50% of the country’s total population are women, she said rapists have no social, family, and political identity. “They've the only identity which is the rapists.”
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“A rapist is a child of any mother and I will call upon that mother to abandon your rapist son. I urge the children of a rapist to boycott their rapist father. I request brothers to boycott their rapist brother,” the junior minister said.
She also urged this society to ostracize the rapists and the educational institutions to rusticate those who rape.
Indira said a completely sick mentality works in the case of rape and awareness is needed to get rid of it. “We’ll be able to stop such repression on women with united efforts. The parents have the biggest responsibility in this regard as they need to know where their children go, what they do, and who they hang out with them.”
She said whenever there is any incident of rape and violence against women and children, they contact the DC, SP, and OC of the district and thana concerned to ensure the arrest of the accused.
“Our field officers are visiting the victims’ homes and providing them with all kinds of assistance, including legal assistance,” she added.