Sex crimes on the rise

IN a recent issue of a news weekly of Comilla, it has been reported that in early August a minor girl of three years of age was raped by a young man of Laksam aided by his accomplice. This is simply unimaginable and unbelievable! Not long ago, another national daily reported that how an eight-year-old girl was violated by her Ustad, an Imam of a local village mosque who happened to be the Arabic teacher of the victim. The termination of job of a Madrasah teacher for his alleged involvement in the sexual abuse of a Madrasah student also got press coverage in the recent past. These are but a few examples of how sex crimes are going on unabated in our society and the country as a whole. These occurrences give us enough food for thought and at the same time raise the question as to what kind of society we have been living in.brThere is no denying that sex crimes are on the rise in our country and the occurrence of sexual harassment and exploitation has marked a significant rise in recent years. It needs no telling that the worst sex crime is rape and it is regrettable that rape cases have multiplied by an enormous magnitude to the horror of the common people. What is most tragic and shocking is that the rape victims, in most cases, aren't allowed to survive after they are violated. How brutal and inhuman it is! Not only rape, sex crimes of all categories are taking place thereby threatening the very safety and dignity of women in general in society.brOne can attribute the high incidence of sex crimes to the tremendous erosion of moral, ethical and human values. Social unrest, deteriorating law and order situation, the so-called cultural aggression etc., are responsible for this situation. It's high time we realised the gravity of the situation and took some preventive measures in order to contain the upward trend in the incidence of sex crimes.brReligion can play a significant role in this regard. In the words of Arnold Toynbee, a noted historian, 'The absence of religiousness is responsible for the manifold problems confronted by the people in the present-day world. Strict adherence to the religious doctrines, teachings, dictates and rituals can immensely contribute to bringing about a qualitative change in the prevailing circumstances. On the other hand, the real culprits must be brought to book and exemplary punishment meted out to them.brApart from all these, a vigorous social resistance movement against sex crimes must be launched. Concerted efforts need to be taken to resist the rapists and other sex criminals in order to bring back a healthy and congenial atmosphere in society.brM. Anwaruzzamanbr213, Shaheed Shamsul Haque SarakbrJhawtala, Comilla-3500br