Acid Attacks In Bangladesh

Like many nations in Asia Bangladesh has deeply entrenched idea of mens and womens place in society. Men clearly being on top while women are just as clearly placed at the bottom. Because of this disparity male children are naturally highly prized while daughters are seen as a burden on the family. Further working against women is that most of the cultures and societies in which the reside are ultra conservative. So, any interaction especially with any male be it a relative, neighbor or stranger may be seen as dishonoring the family can lead to retribution from the family of the aggrieved party. Including her own family. One of the methods used for satisfying the need to regain ones honor in Bangladesh is through the throwing of acid onto the face of the person one believes brought them dishonor.

Acid is the weapon of choice because of its ready availability as it is used in the manufacture of jewelry which is a common profession in Bangladesh and of course it so easily disfigures its victims.

Another child was attacked by her father because she was born a girl. Several years later, her father has been released from prison, and reconciled with her mother. But their child continues to live at the Acid Survivors Foundation because neither parent wants to take home their horribly scarred female child.

DHAKA - A law to curb violence against women in the form of acid being thrown at them has been approved in Bangladesh, which has witnessed 132 incidents of this kind since January.


The legislation, Acid Control (Amendment) Bill, 2009, aims to establish “strict government control on the use of acid materials and curb acid related crimes”, it was announced Monday after approval was given by the cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

One of the biggest forms of hypocrisy is that countries like Bangladesh have signed the Universal Declaration On Human Rights yet one half of that countries population is not treated humanly.