Acid throwing is a vicious form of violence against women (VAW). Although, we know that VAW is a universal phenomenon, what many of us

may not know is the extent and form the violence takes. Acid throwing is a particularly vicious and damaging form of VAW in Bangladesh. There are

cases of acid throwing in other countries but these are isolated incidents, nowhere near the number of attacks that occur in Bangladesh. The victims are

attacked for many reasons. In some cases, the attack takes place because a young girl or women has spurned the sexual advances of a male or has rejected a proposal of marriage. Recently, however there have been acid attacks on children, older women and sometimes also men. These attacks are often the result of family or land disputes, dowry demands or a desire for revenge. The major victims are women(47%), men(26%) and children(27%). When acid is thrown on a person the results are horrifying. It causes the skin tissue to melt, often exposing the bones below die flesh, sometimes even dissolving the bone. Many acid attack survivors have lost one or both eyes.

The issue needs to be firmly dealt with. Md. Anisur Rahman Shezan

Mohakhali, Dhaka