Despite all the progress we have made as a nation, it is an utter travesty that, despite the half a century it has been since independence, women's safety is still an issue in Bangladesh.
Not only are we as a society failing to give our women fair and equitable treatment, we are failing to protect them from attacks of the most appalling nature -- from throwing acid at them to the ever-present scourge of marital rape, the overwhelming majority of victims in such cases being women.
With an increasing number of women and entering a multitude of professions in Bangladesh and breaking the glass ceiling every day, the fact that empowering women can indeed have a net positive effect on not just the economy but on the society at large is now clear as day. So why is it that we continue to fail to provide them with the safety and security they require?
A recent roundtable discussion, jointly organized by Bangla Tribune and the Foundation for Law and Development sought to find an answer to that question. While Bangladesh has all the necessary laws, policies, and even the infrastructure required in place, it ultimately boils down to a lack of enforcement that keeps denying women their rights.
We cannot keep failing our women any longer.
The government must ensure that incidents of violence against women do not go unreported, and that the perpetrators be brought to book. Women represent half of our population, and it is only when they feel safe enough to come forward about violence and abuse that we can consider our nation to be truly developed.
As a civilized people, there can be no place for gender-based violence among us.