The media should be careful about showing scenes of violence against women as such scenes in plays and movies help aggravate the situation, they said.

While the media is playing a significant role in building our mindset, rape scenes are being frequently shown in films to satisfy the desire of a section of audience, said Prof Dr Geeti Ara Nasreen of Dhaka University.

Action Network to Combat Violence against Women organised the 'National dialogue on the role of the media in resisting domestic violence' at Cirdap auditorium in the city, with Law Minister Moudud Ahmed as the chief guest.

ANM Imam Hasanat, executive director of the MSS, presided over the dialogue.

Law Minister Moudud Ahmed called on the media not to portray any such things that exaggerate or encourage domestic violence.

"The issue of domestic violence should be handled judiciously. The media should not broadcast such incidents only to serve its own interest," he added.

He also urged the media to raise awareness about the Women and Children Repression Prevention Act so that it cannot be used as an instrument of blackmail, exploitation and extortion.

The minister also stressed the need for raising awareness about Legal Aid Services Act-2000, which was aimed at providing financial assistance for underprivileged women.

Presenting a keynote paper, Dr Mahbub Hasan said 54,954 women were physically assaulted last year and 3,043 of them were killed, mostly by their husbands.

As women, in most cases, are reluctant to disclose the incidents of violence due to various reasons, enactment of a law is needed to create an environment conducive to bringing the offenders to book, said Syed Nurul Alam, chairperson of Action Network to Combat Violence Against Women.

The speakers also stressed the need for more awareness programmes such as Meena cartoon in the electronic media, showing awareness messages during the intermission of films and adopting gender policy in all media houses.

Salam Saleh Uddin, assistant editor of the daily Ajker Kagoj, Shah Alamgir, chief news editor of Channel i, and Nasimun Ara Haque, president of Bangladesh Nari Sangbadik Kendra, also spoke at the dialogue.