DMP Commissioner seeks apology

Dhaka Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sheikh Md Sazzat Ali has issued an formal apology over his comments on the use of the word “rape” in a recent event.

He conveyed his apology through a statement released by the DMP’s public relations department on Monday (March 17).

The Commissioner clarified his stance, saying, “While discussing the issue of abuse of women and children, I referred to rape as a larger form of abuse. If anyone has been offended by my statement, I apologise.”

The controversy arose at the launching event of the Harassment Elimination Literacy Programme, or “HELP” app, on Saturday at the Daily Star building. In his speech as the chief guest, the commissioner urged the public to use terms like "violence against women" or "abuse" instead of "rape".

He said, “I dislike two words; I request you not to use them. I forgot one, but the other is ‘rape’. Please do not use this word. It sounds unpleasant to hear.”

"The law we have is also called the 'Women and Children Repression Prevention Act’. The main heading of the law does not include such terms. So, we should avoid using words that sound unpleasant,” he said in his speech.

His statement was condemned by the Office of the Chief Adviser. The issue created a widespread criticism in the media.