Women die of acid attacks
2004-03-24 12:01
Dhaka - At least 18 Bangladeshi women in the past week were attacked with acid, with two dying in a sudden rise in reports of this type of assault, a rights group said Wednesday.
Along with the 18 women, a nine-month-old baby suffered burns when she was sleeping next to her mother who was targeted in the acid attack, said Monira Begum, executive director of the Acid Survivors Foundation.
"Acid throwing is alarmingly on the rise and people from all walks of life should come forward to resist it," she said.
"We are horrified by the spurt of attacks and the cruelty of the attackers."
Acid attacks, which can disfigure the victims for life, generally target women in disputes over marriages and dowries. Many of the attackers are spurned suitors.
The Foundation expressed surprise at the rise in attacks. Reports of acid throwing had been decreasing since Bangladesh introduced the death penalty for the crime two years ago.
According to the group's figures, 62 people - 44 of them women - were victims of acid attacks in the year to March 22.
The number of victims was 90 in 2003, 485 in 2002 and 341 in 2001.
The government last month allocated 2.5 million taka (anbout R275 000) to provide loans to help burn victims start small businesses.
- AFP