Every third girl victim of sexual harassment

More than 34 percent girls between 10 to 14 years are victims of sexual harassment in Bangladesh, according to State Minister for Women and Children Affairs Meher Afroz Chumki.

She revealed the information in reply to Awami League MP Mamtaz Begum’s query in Parliament on Feb 13.

Referring to the Violence against Women Survey-2015 conducted by the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics, the minister said nearly 31 percent girls are physically tortured at least once in their girlhood.

A helpline service was recently introduced by the government in effort to stop the sexual harassment and physical torture of women and children, she said. Victims or any other person can now ask for information, advice and acquire services available by calling the the National Helpline Center (dial 10921).

The number was attached on the covers of secondary and intermediate textbooks published this year, the minister added.

Source: bdnews24.com