A culture of abuse

The recent incident where a 38-year-old woman was violently beaten and publicly humiliated by her husband shows just how much domestic violence remains a scourge within our society. The woman’s so-called crime was to have asked for money for food. All too often, this kind of brutal behaviour is seen as the norm, with many considering this kind of treatment of women at the hands of their husbands is seen as being laissez-faire. This much is evident from the way the husband “hit her with a shoe and kicked her in the head” while the public watched silently. The fact that the police came only after the incident attracted sufficient public outcry goes to show the depth of the problem, and shows how law enforcement shares culpability in the matter. Why is it that the public has to show the police where to look for such violence? Victims should feel comfortable and protected enough at the hands of our law enforcement that they can come forward when violence of this nature occurs. The fact that the woman in question had put up with multiple instances of abuse, with her husband having married other women when she had refused to sell her property, is further indicative of the culture of domestic abuse we live in. This is not the sort of values that we, as Bangladeshis, can deem as acceptable. There needs to be stricter implementation of laws which punish such behaviour. Abusers of this kind cannot be allowed to roam free.