The High Court on Tuesday asked the government to make a guideline or a policy to prevent stalking which caused a number of deaths in recent time.
It also asked the law ministry to report to court in a month on steps it will have taken in this regard. The court posted for further hearing in the matter for December 6.
The bench of Justice Md Imman Ali and Justice Obaidul Hasan passed the order after hearing a writ petition filed by the Bangladesh National Women Lawyers’ Association, calling the court’s attention to such incidents as reported in newspapers.
The court also gave a series of directives to prevent stalking. The court said the law ministry would consult the ministries of the home affairs, children and women affairs, education, labour and the local government and rural development in working out the guideline or the police to prevent stalking.
The court said the Penal Code and the Dhaka Metropolitan Police Act were not enough to punish the stalkers and to protect the families of the victims.
It also alerted deputy commissioners asking them to prevent stalking. It asked the inspector general of police to take immediate steps to arrest all found in involved in harassing women and girls.
The home ministry and the inspector general of police were also asked to
take steps for the protection of victims of stalking and their families.
Secretaries to the children and women affairs and education ministries were asked to launch an awareness campaign on the electronic media of the social menace and its consequences.
The court also asked the police, along with civil society and non-governmental agencies, to make aware young people and their guardians of stalking.
The court also asked the government to ensure employment for the young people which could help to contain stalking.
In Bogra, Rupali Rani Bayati, 15, a Class IX student of Simabari SR Girls’ School at Sherpur, committed suicide reportedly after a neighbour abducted and forcibly put vermillion on her forehead on Monday.
In Faridpur, Champa Rani Biswas of Faridpur, 52, died on October 27 after being wounded by stalkers as she had protested at the harassment of her daughter.
In Natore, Lokmanpur College chemistry teacher Mizanur Rashid died on October 24 after being wounded on October 12 by stalkers for his protest at harassment of girls.
Counsel for the women lawyers’ association Fahima Nasrin, told the court the Dhaka Metropolitan Police Act and the Penal Code provision that stalkers would be punished with a simple imprisonment for a term which may extend to a year or with fine or both, and they were not enough to bring stalkers to justice.
She also sought court directives so that the government could work out a guideline or a policy to prevent harassment of girls and women.
The court heard former attorney generals KS Nabi and Fida M Kamal and senior lawyers Abdul Baset Majumder and Rokanuddin Mahmud, who attended the hearing, as amici curiae (court’s friends) in the case.
