The government has decided to set up mobile courts in every district against stalking of girls or women which in last few weeks caused deaths
to a number of people. The home affairs ministry has already sent a proposal for inclusion of stalking in the mobile courts’ jurisdiction of scheduled offences to the law ministry for vetting to allow the authorities to operate such courts for summery trial of the tormentors of girls and women.
‘Mobile courts will be operated in each district to curb crimes like eve-teasing. Lawmen have been asked to go tough against the teasers. Action will also be taken against the guardians of the offenders as well,’ state minister for home affairs Shamsul Haque told reporters after a meeting at the secretariat on Tuesday.
He said the ministry was considering a fresh enactment with provisions for stern punishment for the stalkers of girls and women. ‘We are also thinking legal action against the guardians also if their children are involved in eve-teasing,’ he added.
Home affairs minister Sahara Khatun presided over the meeting on maintenance of law order during the Eid-ul-Azha, which will take place in the third week of this month (November).
Responding to reporters’ queries about the proposed amendment to the mobile court law, home secretary Abdus Sobhan Sikder, who was present among others at the meeting, said that the ministry had proposed inclusion of Section 509 of the penal code to the scheduled offences of the law so that the trial for stalking could be conducted summarily.
Section 509 of the Penal Code says that whoever, intending to insult the modesty of any woman, utters any word, makes any sound or gesture, or exhibits any object, intending that such word or sound shall be heard, or that such gesture or object shall be seen, by such woman or intrudes upon the privacy of such woman, shall be punished with simple imprisonment for a term which may extend up to one year, or with fine or with both.
The home minister said the law enforcement agencies would remain vigilant during the Eid holidays to maintain law and order.
Separate cells would be set up in the home ministry, police headquarters and Dhaka Metropolitan Police to contain extortions as there would be 13 cattle markets in Dhaka and many across the country.
Sahara said that police and Rapid Action Battalion members would be deployed in and around the cattle markets to ensure that people could sell and buy sacrificial cattle without hassle.
She said the lawmen were also asked as usual for taking measures to check smuggling of cattle hides to the neighbouring countries.
Senior officials of police and RAB also attended the meeting held at the home affairs ministry.
The decision to set up mobile courts for summary trial of stalkers was taken in view of rising incidents of crimes like murder and forcing young girls to commit suicide in the face of constant teasing and harassment by delinquent youths.
Mizanur Rashid, a 36-year old chemistry lecturer of Lokmanpur College in Natore, died in a hospital on October 24 after he was run over by a motorcycle and severely injured by stalkers for protesting harassment of a female student.
Shortly afterwards, Chapa Rani Bhowmik, 48, was killed in a similar manner in Faridpur by a 24-year old Debashish Saha Rony, for protesting sexual harassment of her daughter.
The latest casualty was Rupali Rani, 15, of Sirajganj. Police claimed that Rupali had hanged herself as Sushil Mandal, 22, abducted her and forcibly put ‘sindoor’ (vermillion) on her forehead — signifying she was married.
