The government will take steps to bring back fugitives of acid violence cases hidiii,; abroad, said Home Minister Sahara Khatun yesterday.

If the ministry receives information, the perpetrators will be detained at the immigration, added the minister while addressing newsmen during a visit to the Acid Survivors Foundation Hospital at Banani.

The minister, who is also the head of National Acid Control Council (NACC), said to speed up acid violence cases the government on Sunday formed a monitoring cell under the NACC headed by Joint Secretary Iqbal Khan Chowdhury.

The monitoring cell comprising ministry officials and representatives from organisations working on acid violence will act as a watchdog regarding the pending cases.

Only valid licence holders will be allowed to sell and purchase acid, she said.

The minister later handed over a cheque for Tk 5 lakh to ASF on behalf of NACC.

Munira Rahman, executive director of the ASF, said acid violence has decreased of late and since 2002 the ratio has decreased by almost75 percent.

However, the legal procedures of acid violence cases usually take too long to resolve. Thousands of incidents that occurred during the last few years are still awaiting verdict, she said.

The lengthy legal process gives the assailants opportunity to escape sentence. Many acid throwers are hiding abroad while many remain at large even inside the country for lack of cooperation from the law enforcers, she added.

According to, a, survey of ASF, the number of acid violence in 2bo'2 was 490, the highest in the last ten years, which is coming down gradually.

In 2008 the number was 55 while till April this year the number stood at 22.

Most of the victims are girls aged bellow 18, who declined marriage proposals. Besides, dowry, land dispute and intention to take revenge have been identified as the main reasons behind acid violence.

Home Secretary Abdus Sobhan Sikder and officials of ASF were present during the visit.