Depraved, one-track minded men of Bangladesh have found themselves in possession of a new weapon to harass young, defenceless girls. It’s small (fits inside their pockets), it’s easy to manoeuvre and it’s always with them. The innocent mobile phone that brings joy to people for its speed in communication and information exchange, keeps parents happy when their children are out of sight and can even be used to buy and sell products as varied as furniture and vegetables, is now being used by a certain section of people to do something more sinister.
Unsuspecting girls are being victimised by this section of people by having their photos taken or videotaped sometimes in compromising positions. One girl (according to a Prothom Alo report) was in a shop buying personal items when a man secretly took a shot of her using her phone camera. At public places there is no rest from the wicked phone-clicking menace to society. Jilted lovers have also found a much more powerful weapon of revenge in the cell phone. So do we blame it all on the cell phones? Of course not! There will always be such people who will find new ways to harass people. But the laws regarding this form of harassment need to be stricter. People need to be more aware of the terrible consequences of such acts that cause so much trauma to the victims and their families. ‘Eve teasing’ has led to an end of many girls education and even suicides from frustration. This new weapon is much more sophisticated and dangerous. If it is not controlled properly, the situation may go out of control. ‘Eve teasing’ is basically sexual harassment and should be seen as a reprehensible crime that must not go unpunished.