Women’s rights activists to bring out Muktir Michhil in Dhaka

Marking the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, women’s rights activists are going to bring out a vigil from the capital’s Dhanmondi area to Manik Mia Aveue in front of the National Parliament on Wednesday evening.

They will also hold a flash mob in front of the National Parliament, says a statement of Feminists Across Generations (FemGen Alliance), adding that they would set off from the Naripokkho office premises at 5/A Satmasjid Road at 7pm.

Muktir Michhil or Freedom March is what they call the torch procession. 

This is the second such event since several hundred females joined a torch procession, in the early hours of October 14, in protest of a sudden rise in rapes and violence against women and girls across the country.

“We took to the streets and our response was to call for protection of the women and girls of our country, to keep them safe. In October, 441 more cases of rape and attempted rape were reported. Yet, we have seen no satisfactory response from the government for effective solutions to this widespread deep rooted issue,” the FemGen said.

The previous torch procession was well appreciated by netizens with media outlets covering it prominently as such an all-women protest has been a rare show in the Muslim majority country.

According to Ain-o-Salish Kendra, between January and September, 975 women were raped, 43 women killed after rape and 204 women were victims of attempted rape. During the period, 12 women committed suicide in connection with or in pursuance of rape.