A Nightmare

(I wrote this at a time when the youth of Bangladesh were up against a common enemy- sexual violence. While I could not be physically present to protest, I used my words to protest against this abominable crime. Here is the piece, one meant to inspire readers to stand up against sexual violence and rape.)

Is it not pretty ironic that we are actually going through a pandemic, yet we are not really afraid of it? It’s pretty disheartening but the truth is, people of Bangladesh are going through an epidemic. And that is ‘rape’. Sexual harassment. And like a deadly disease this shameless act is spreading all throughout our beloved motherland.

The saddest part is that it’s no more the fear of being affected by Covid-19 that is obstructing us from stepping out of our house, rather it is the fear of falling into the hands of these animals that is preventing us from stepping out of the periphery of our home. These animals, who, for the sake of brevity are called ‘rapists’, are worse then hyenas and their shameless act seems to shaken our hearts with deep fear. But for how long do we endure this pain? How many more lives are to be ruined till we finally say “Enough!” and do something against them? Are we not the ‘Brave Bangladeshis’ anymore?

When I was a young boy, I was taught that Bangladeshis are some of the most bravest groups of people ever to have walked in this planet. We are the only nation who had to shed blood in order to establish Bangla as our mother language. Our nation’s heroes could fight bravely against the well equipped Pakistani army within months of preparation. But what is happening now? Where are those children and descendants of brave hearts whose sacrifices led to the gory birth of Bangladesh? What about fulfilling the dreams of those martyrs who at the face of adversity had only the thought of fighting for the birth of a golden nation?

Rape is a serious offence that is now spreading like the wildfire of Australia and is literally snatching away lives of many. What are we doing? Instead of putting out the fire, unknowingly we are acting like the Leaf fire blower that ignites the fire and spreads it more. Instead of pointing out fingers at the animals who commit this crime, we are more inclined to pointing our fingers at the victims simplify because, their dresses are ‘too suggestive’. Instead of counselling the criminals, we counsel the victims. We shutdown their doors, we shatter their dreams and we crush their ambitions while the ones who should be counselled are released within months by bail and they continue their unorthodox activity. Why can we not perceive that the problem is not with the way the females dress or look, but the problem is with the way some fierce inhumans view them? Amitabh Bachchan said, and I quote, in the film ‘Pink’: “Nowadays we put effort in the wrong direction. We should save our boys, not the girls. Because if we save our boys, our girls will also be saved.” Indeed this is true. If the male are exposed to a society where they see only the victim being blamed and the criminal getting away with bribes and what not, then they are prone to take part in this devilish act, and thus the ‘disease’ spreads.

Indeed it is not only the laws that we rant about that should change, but also the people around us.

It is no more time for remorse and sympathy. The time has come to ignite the fire of revolution. Let’s all step up to ensure not another female in our society is harassed, and not another live is destroyed by the filthy animals amongst us. I want to wake up from this nightmare, and I am willing to bet I’m not the only one.