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3 years ago

Bangladesh Mobile Phone Consumers’ Association advocates installing tracking app in phones, as assaults on women rise

Representational image — Collected
Representational image — Collected

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Bangladesh Mobile Phone Consumers’ Association has called on the authorities concerned to install a special tracking app in mobile phones to improve the safety and security for women as incidents of assault against women have recently increased in the country.

“We want every mobile operator to keep a special apps-tracker or a single-digit free calling system for the safety and security of their customers,” the association said in a letter addressed to authorities concerned on Wednesday.

“In some countries, handset devices are also equipped with a pepper spray but we are not in favour of this method considering the issue of national security and prevention of abuse,” it said.

To make the case for installing a tracking app in mobile phones, the association also pointed out that many developed countries, including the United States, have already installed special tracking apps in mobile phones to prevent incidents of rape and violence against women.

Last year cases were filed in connection with incidents of violence against 5,400 women and children in Bangladesh and the rape incident rate was 3.6 per cent, the association pointed out.

Some four women were raped per 0.1 million so far this year in the country, the mobile consumers’ platform said, adding that some 128 women were raped in the first 10 days of January while some 934 women were raped amid the Covid-19 pandemic.

The letter, signed by the association's President M Mohiuddin Ahmed, was addressed to concerned government offices, including Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission; Association of Mobile Telecom Operators of Bangladesh and concerned officials of all mobile phone operators.

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