2300 acid throwing incidents in last 11 years

Around 23 hundred acid throwing incidents took place in the country in the 11 years causing burn injures of at least 3 thousand people including women and children.
Speakers at a press conference organised by the United Nation Population Fund (UNFPA) said this at Sonargaon hotel in the city yesterday quoting Acid Survivors Foundation (ASF) statistics.
They said only 10 percent acid throwers come under legal action. This year UNFPA honoured.
Ms Monira Rahman, the Executive Director of Acid Survivors Foundation (ASF), Bangladesh, a partner NGO of UNFPA, with the prestigious ‘Americans for UNFPA International Award for Health and Dignity of Women 2009’ for her commanding work in preventing violence against women, specially acid violence.
Americans for UNFPA International Award announces this award annually to recognise people for their exemplary contributions to women’s health and the promotion of women’s rights.
The 2009 Honouree will receive an amount of US$ 5,000 as grant to support their country programmes.
Arthur Erken, UNFPA Representative, Bangladesh, said ‘We should not be happy if anybody comes under acid attack.’
UNFPA, Bangladesh is working to eliminate acid throwing from the country, he said.
Earlier, Deni Robey, Vice President of Public Affairs, Americans for UNFPA, announced the name of winner and said that ‘ While the international community has embraced the idea that the economic development of a country is not possible without the participation of half of the nation’s citizens, the truth is that without UNFPA, as well as people like Monira, the particular concerns of women are often forgotten.’
Monira Rahman in her feelings said that the achievement is not only for herself, but also for all her colleagues of ASF.
She said the money she received would be spent for rehabilitation of acid survivors.
Ms Syeda Farzana, Treasurer, Board of trustees of ASF, an acid survivor Hasina Akter and Parul Akter, mother of a nine years old acid survivor Babli also spoke

Courtesy of The New Nation