Editorial
The Good Samaritan
Its great news. Great for Bangladesh's victims of the cruellest of crimes - throwing acid on the face of female children and nubile girls. Great for Bangladesh itself. For without the Good Samaritan act by a Spanish organisation six of such girls were doomed to a life of a walking carcass, with the government hardly taking any notice. The government's failure to do something effective to treat the 'acid girls' and give them back their lives is further compounded by its failure to arrest and eliminate, the despicable crime. A crimeless society is still to come - every nation suffers in differing degrees from acts of criminal aberration. Bangladesh is very special in that in no other nation a failed lover or a 'lusting macho type' throws acid on the beautiful face a girl all set to begin life. Bangladesh is special for its special crime that knows no abating, in spite of there being a government here - with all the trappings that attend on governments of the leading nations. It's a special shame for us.
Thanks to the Spanish outfit Corporacion Dermoestetica for taking under their care the treatment of six acid victims from Bangladesh. The organisation hopes to subsequently treat 10 such victims every year. And similar offers have come from UK, Italy and Sweden. The six are already in Spain and have been featured on the television invoking wide sympathy from the Spanish society.
How can our government match this magnanimity, such kindness? By beginning to be serious about eliminating the abominable crime. The rate of conviction is deplorably low - one will be hard put to it to remember the last case of punishment while anyone can recall numbers of aid throwing in the past year.
Acid must be made difficult to get. How, the government should know. The acid cases must be treated specially - with firmness and dispatch. The retribution must be so as to effectively deter the criminals and, as such, clear the name of Bangladesh.
