Priya Khatun lived in relative contentment in her in-laws place near the Sunderbans. But all of a sudden, her life turned upside down with persistent demand for dowry.
When Priya failed to bring money from her father, her husband threw acid on her face while she was sleeping.
There are many like her taking treatment at the Dhaka Medical College Hospital’s Burn Unit.
To counter this abominable practice, stringent implementation of dowry related laws are a must, feels social observers.
According to Dhaka Medical College One Stop Crisis Centre’s information, since it began operation in April 2018, 282 women facing fire/acid related violence have been admitted.
All over the country, 32,777 women who faced acid, fire and sexual assault have been admitted to one stop crisis centres.
Bangladesh Mohila Parishad states that between Jan-Dec, 2017, 8 women were burnt; of them, three persons died; around 21 women faced dowry related violence; of them, 9 were killed.
After preliminary treatment, Priya got admitted at the Burn unit of DMCH. She has been burnt from neck to navel and is spending time in unbearable physical pain.
“No one from my in-laws family came to visit me,” she said.
Priya’s mother told Bangla Tribune: “Priya is the eldest of three daughters; we are carrying the expenses and have not received any financial help from her husband.”
She further said that during marriage, the husband, Nazmul, did not demand any money; but later, started to beat her for dowry.
However, Priya, who is five months pregnant, says that her in-laws prevent her husband from giving any financial support.
The expense is huge; I do not know what the future holds, says the woman sounding desperate.
Coordinator of the DMCH Burn and Plastic Surgery Unit, Dr. Samanta Lal Sen, told Bangla Tribune: “I have seen cases where woman were tied to a tree and burnt for dowry; in other incidents, pregnant burnt victims came here and eventually succumbed to their injuries.”
Many survived and were left by their husbands, he added.
“The ones who live often end up on the roads.”
Resident surgeon of the same department at DMCH, Dr. Partha Shankar Pal, told Bangla Tribune: “we get many burn patients, but due to lack of manpower, cannot acquire the exact data.”
Nurse Pinky says: “we get dowry violence cases from time to time; it’s really deplorable how women are mistreated for money.”
Anti- dowry law has to be strictly enforced, she says emphatically.
The overwhelming desire is to have money at all costs, lamented the nurse.
Joint secretary of Bangladesh Mohila parishad’s Dhaka chapter, Monju Dhor says: we have anti dowry lay but it’s not being implemented.
We need exemplary punishment, he added
“The custom of dowry had always been here, though in the past, it was not accompanied by violence.”
Talking about the rise of dowry violence, the human rights activist said that dowry demand has increased as people have become more avaricious in society.
“The overwhelming desire is to have money at all cost.”