Dr. Rashid Askari
The writer, a PhD, teaches English literature at Kushtia Islamic University and can be reached at
The term 'eve-teasing' has gone farthest from its denotation in recent times in Bangladesh. Teasing of girls was just about excusable in the past. But the proportions it has assumed these days demand the term be renamed. Now-a-days, it amounts to sexual harassment. Even the court sees eye to eye with this. Recently, the high court returned a verdict with regard to calling 'eve-teasing' 'sexual harassment.'
As a matter of fact, what we are used to calling 'eve-teasing' no longer means "to laugh at or make jokes about somebody in order to annoy or embarrass them." Rather it starts with provoking the girls in an unkind way, and may end up by driving them to even commit suicide. Recently, however, another dimension has been added to it. The ones who put up a resistance to the crazy tease are also being avenged to death. Natore-teacher Mizanur Rahman, Faridpur housewife Chapa Rani Bhowmik, and Bogra-girl Rupali Rani and many others are examples of direct and indirect victims of eve-teasing. These killings have caused quite a stir across the country as usual, but they would finally die down as usual. The same or other form of mocking will carry on with redoubled enthusiasm and the unfortunate sufferers would bear it in the forlorn hope that one day they would get justice. People coming to their aid would again be at considerable risk to their own lives. This is how eve-teasing has become a real teaser of the day.
To rid our society of this growing public nuisance called 'eve-teasing' is not a piece of cake. Punitive measures taken against the accused could only scratch the surface of the problem. Its crux lies elsewhere. It is not, as such, a stray occurrence falling off the sky all on a sudden, and cannot be remedied overnight. It is related to the overall law and order of the country. With its breakdown this social menace erupted along with other acts of violence. If law and order was maintained in right earnest, the depraved youths called eve-teasers would not dare to use their muscle to win hearts. They would rather kneel in supplication to the girls, and beg love from them or treat them with compassion. Really, a cat in a mesh calls the mouse its brother! But unfortunately for us, the collapse of law and order has become a perennial problem in Bangladesh for many years now. Among other reasons, it is an inevitable effect of the political polarisation. The party in power and the party in opposition are using their political muscles by turns causing serious inconvenience to the smooth maintenance of law and order. So with the change of the power, only the beneficiaries are changed. The health of law and order remains almost the same or changes rather insignificantly.
The law and order breakdown is caused, for the most part, by the pampered youth of the party in power. The excessive political indulgence in the immature votaries poses a complete disregard for the rule of law. And when rule of law is at stake, provoking the girls in a playful way may lead to the extent of sexual harassment or even suicide or homicide. Our legal enforcement system has been so lax on the law breakers that we seldom see the criminals getting punished. They slip through the net for money or political muscle. Justice cries in silence.
Our long-borne attitude towards women is another reason for eve-teasing in Bangladesh. Ours is a male-dominated society where women are subordinated to family interests. They are as it were 'a necessary evil.' Our societies, our cultures, and our religions have prescribed their province. Their social position is determined by that province. The families still feel encumbered with female children and fortified with male ones. The girls are subject to lesser care while the boys enjoy preferential treatment. The head part of the fish hardly goes to the daughter's plate. The load of the marriageable daughters is the heaviest load on the father's shoulder. He is the most unfortunate man whose daughter's hand is not asked for.
Despite women being the country's prime minister and the leader of the opposition in parliament, the total scenario has not changed. Women are still the most vulnerable creatures in the country. They are the sitting ducks, the easiest tease-hunt, and all too easily obtainable sex-objects. They are the weaker sex. So, the stronger ones tend to tease them. They tease them primarily for fun and flirtation. If allowed they forget to mind their p's and q's, and leap over the boundaries of decency. And if not allowed, their fun turns into irresistible anger that arouses the beast in them, and unleashes it upon their innocent prey. The angry beast may reach the point of killing them or their rescuers.
So, to keep the beasts in fetters, our old and rusty attitude towards women ought to be changed hook, line and sinker. Women are the right equals of their male counterparts. We should shrug off all the stereotype views of women as inferior beings. This could be achieved through a wholesale awakening campaign. And its process should begin at home. Every home should be a fortified abode for the women. We should equally value the male and female members of the family, and equally value our mothers, sisters, daughters and the corresponding in-laws. This is especially applicable to the women guardians of the family.
Some, however, suggest that the women should stay away from the teasers, and go back to the zenana for seclusion. They may come out occasionally with burkha or niqab or hijab or the like. Screening women from men or strangers by means of clothes sounds absolutely preposterous in the 21st century, especially in a secular-democratic country like Bangladesh. Besides, this conditional security measure is antithetical to human rights and sartorial liberty. This should be left to the own sweet choices of the women. This is also a court order. Besides, being unveiled does not necessarily justify eve-teasing. If it does, that is not a civilized society. We believe we are in a civilized society. Women in Bangladesh shall enjoy equal rights and liberty with men as ensured by the highest law of the land-the Constitution.
So, women in Bangladesh must be protected against all sorts of sexual harassments. It is time to do away with this euphemistic term 'eve-teasing.' It must be termed 'sexual harassment,' and new laws should be enacted and enforced to try the teasers. Social and cultural movements for attitudinal change with regard to gender should go alongside the stringent legal measures. A harmonious development of rule of law and gender equality campaign can address the crux of the matter.
As a matter of fact, what we are used to calling 'eve-teasing' no longer means "to laugh at or make jokes about somebody in order to annoy or embarrass them." Rather it starts with provoking the girls in an unkind way, and may end up by driving them to even commit suicide. Recently, however, another dimension has been added to it. The ones who put up a resistance to the crazy tease are also being avenged to death. Natore-teacher Mizanur Rahman, Faridpur housewife Chapa Rani Bhowmik, and Bogra-girl Rupali Rani and many others are examples of direct and indirect victims of eve-teasing. These killings have caused quite a stir across the country as usual, but they would finally die down as usual. The same or other form of mocking will carry on with redoubled enthusiasm and the unfortunate sufferers would bear it in the forlorn hope that one day they would get justice. People coming to their aid would again be at considerable risk to their own lives. This is how eve-teasing has become a real teaser of the day.
To rid our society of this growing public nuisance called 'eve-teasing' is not a piece of cake. Punitive measures taken against the accused could only scratch the surface of the problem. Its crux lies elsewhere. It is not, as such, a stray occurrence falling off the sky all on a sudden, and cannot be remedied overnight. It is related to the overall law and order of the country. With its breakdown this social menace erupted along with other acts of violence. If law and order was maintained in right earnest, the depraved youths called eve-teasers would not dare to use their muscle to win hearts. They would rather kneel in supplication to the girls, and beg love from them or treat them with compassion. Really, a cat in a mesh calls the mouse its brother! But unfortunately for us, the collapse of law and order has become a perennial problem in Bangladesh for many years now. Among other reasons, it is an inevitable effect of the political polarisation. The party in power and the party in opposition are using their political muscles by turns causing serious inconvenience to the smooth maintenance of law and order. So with the change of the power, only the beneficiaries are changed. The health of law and order remains almost the same or changes rather insignificantly.
The law and order breakdown is caused, for the most part, by the pampered youth of the party in power. The excessive political indulgence in the immature votaries poses a complete disregard for the rule of law. And when rule of law is at stake, provoking the girls in a playful way may lead to the extent of sexual harassment or even suicide or homicide. Our legal enforcement system has been so lax on the law breakers that we seldom see the criminals getting punished. They slip through the net for money or political muscle. Justice cries in silence.
Our long-borne attitude towards women is another reason for eve-teasing in Bangladesh. Ours is a male-dominated society where women are subordinated to family interests. They are as it were 'a necessary evil.' Our societies, our cultures, and our religions have prescribed their province. Their social position is determined by that province. The families still feel encumbered with female children and fortified with male ones. The girls are subject to lesser care while the boys enjoy preferential treatment. The head part of the fish hardly goes to the daughter's plate. The load of the marriageable daughters is the heaviest load on the father's shoulder. He is the most unfortunate man whose daughter's hand is not asked for.
Despite women being the country's prime minister and the leader of the opposition in parliament, the total scenario has not changed. Women are still the most vulnerable creatures in the country. They are the sitting ducks, the easiest tease-hunt, and all too easily obtainable sex-objects. They are the weaker sex. So, the stronger ones tend to tease them. They tease them primarily for fun and flirtation. If allowed they forget to mind their p's and q's, and leap over the boundaries of decency. And if not allowed, their fun turns into irresistible anger that arouses the beast in them, and unleashes it upon their innocent prey. The angry beast may reach the point of killing them or their rescuers.
So, to keep the beasts in fetters, our old and rusty attitude towards women ought to be changed hook, line and sinker. Women are the right equals of their male counterparts. We should shrug off all the stereotype views of women as inferior beings. This could be achieved through a wholesale awakening campaign. And its process should begin at home. Every home should be a fortified abode for the women. We should equally value the male and female members of the family, and equally value our mothers, sisters, daughters and the corresponding in-laws. This is especially applicable to the women guardians of the family.
Some, however, suggest that the women should stay away from the teasers, and go back to the zenana for seclusion. They may come out occasionally with burkha or niqab or hijab or the like. Screening women from men or strangers by means of clothes sounds absolutely preposterous in the 21st century, especially in a secular-democratic country like Bangladesh. Besides, this conditional security measure is antithetical to human rights and sartorial liberty. This should be left to the own sweet choices of the women. This is also a court order. Besides, being unveiled does not necessarily justify eve-teasing. If it does, that is not a civilized society. We believe we are in a civilized society. Women in Bangladesh shall enjoy equal rights and liberty with men as ensured by the highest law of the land-the Constitution.
So, women in Bangladesh must be protected against all sorts of sexual harassments. It is time to do away with this euphemistic term 'eve-teasing.' It must be termed 'sexual harassment,' and new laws should be enacted and enforced to try the teasers. Social and cultural movements for attitudinal change with regard to gender should go alongside the stringent legal measures. A harmonious development of rule of law and gender equality campaign can address the crux of the matter.
The writer, a PhD, teaches English literature at Kushtia Islamic University and can be reached at
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