Activists urge public role against gender-based violence in Sunamganj

Bashundhara Shuvosangho organised a special session in Jamalganj upazila of Sunamganj on Monday to mobilise people to take action against violence inflicted on women and children.

The participants were also asked to take action and raise their voices against child marriage at the session hosted at the E-Commerce and Digital Computer Training Centre.

The event was chaired by Md Shahin Alam, president of the Bashundhara Shuvosangho Jamalganj Upazila unit, and moderated by Sports Secretary Md Moniruzzaman. The chief guest was Abdul Ahad, adviser to the Bashundhara Shuvosangho Jamalganj Upazila unit and founding president of the Jamalganj Press Club.

In his address, Abdul Ahad said that, alongside raising public awareness, promoting religious and moral education is essential to eliminating violence against women and children, child marriage and other social crimes. He stressed that children should be taught proper values from within the family.

Special guests included former woman vice chairman of the Jamalganj Upazila Parishad, Marjana Islam Shibna; and Rahmat Ara Sharmin, upazila coordinator of Sushilan NGO.

Marjana Islam Shibna said women and children are valuable assets of the nation. Ensuring their safety, dignity and rights is not only the responsibility of the state but also of families and society. She noted that physical and psychological abuse, sexual harassment, child marriage, domestic violence and online harassment severely undermine the lives and future of women and children. She urged everyone to work together to prevent such crimes.

Rahmat Ara Sharmin said violence against women and children remains a serious social problem. To build a safe and humane society, children must be instilled with moral values, mutual respect and compassion from within the family. She also called for greater awareness and the use of legal support to combat child marriage, dowry, physical and psychological abuse and online harassment.

Also present were Bashundhara Shuvosangho Jamalganj Upazila unit Joint General Secretaries Shahina Akter and Md Rabiul Auwal; Women Affairs Secretary Mosammat Sabina Akter; and Work and Planning Affairs Secretary Kali Akter.