A degree worth losing your fingers for

Human rights groups in Bangladesh have demanded a severe punishment for the husband of a young woman who allegedly cut off most of her right hand. Police say Rafiqul Islam, a 30-year-old migrant worker who works in the United Arab Emirates, attacked his 21-year-old wife, Hawa Akther Jui, because she pursued higher education without his permission. This is no reason to cut off anyone's fingers, and is just one of a number of acts of domestic violence targeting educated women in recent months. Her fingers cannot be re-attached and it appears that Ms Akther will have to live with permanent disfigurement because of that stupid waste of life. She has started practising writing with her left hand, and as a fellow southpaw, I wish her well. The attack follows an incident in June in which a university lecturer lost one eye while the other was badly wounded in an attack allegedly carried out by her husband. The accused man in this case, Syeed Hasan Sumon, died in custody earlier this month while awaiting trial.