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Sexual Harassment on Rise

Formulate protection policy

Speakers urge govt

Staff Correspondent
Speakers at a dialogue yesterday said the frequency of sexual harassment is rampant in every sector across the country and to resist such incidents by creating massive awareness and showing zero tolerance against it along with enacting a strict law are imperative.
They called on the government to formulate a sexual harassment protection policy at professional and institutional levels.
Though such harassment is happening all the time at workplaces, outside and inside home and in the streets, it is yet to ■ be recognised as a criminal offence and its definition is-also not clear, theyadded.
Bangladesh National Woman Lawyers' Association (BNWLA) organised the dialogue on 'Woman- and child-friendly protection system: Sexual harassment' at a city restaurant.
Salma Khan, former chairperson and member of Cedaw, said sexual harassment exists in every country in the globe and it is treated as a criminal offence everywhere.
But Bangladesh is the only country where there is no survey on the gravity of this harassment, she said, adding that child harassment is very serious and sensitive and the so the law should be alike.
“We have to accept the existence of this harassment in the country and we have to let people know that this phenomenon is not acceptable in the perspective of religion, moral, legal and human rights,” she said, adding that massive awareness is a must to resist the offence.
Mentioning the role of media, she said the mainstream media
and newspapers in the rural areas will have to highlight the issue as a criminal offence.
Ferdows Ara Begum, committee member of Cedaw, said the incident of sexual harassment is increasing though the awareness regarding the harassment is also increasing.
She said there is no law protecting the domestic helps, especially young adolescents, who are being repressed inside the houses, adding women are being harassed by some communication media, including internet and cellphones, but no strict protest has so far been raised against them.
“Onlytheenactment of law i&not enough tocliecks^ua^h^rassmqpt. We have to show zero tolerance against any kind of harassment and also have to create a culture of prevention,” she further said.
Chairman of Clinical and Psychology department at Dhaka University (DU) Kamal Uddin Ahmed Chowdhury said though sexual harassment exists everywhere in the world, the situation is quite different in Bangladesh.
A sexual harassment-friendly
culture has been developed in the country, as the people's perception regarding harassment is that a boy will do such harassment and a girl will have to tolerate it, he added.
He also said many girls don't dear to complain with the fear to be more victimised, adding, “We have to change our mindset and also stimulate moral values."
Prof Dilara Chowdhury of Government and Politics department at Jahangirnagar University said we do not know what behaviour constitutes sexual harassment.
The harassment will be reduced to an extent if every- institution initiates a specific policy, proce-j^qre and awareness regarding-the harassment, she said.
BNWLA President Fawzia Karim Firoze said the volume of harassment can be reduced if a strict law is enacted, many people will not dare to do such filings in future in fear of punishment
BNWLA Executive Director Salma Ali said the issue is very sensitive and a specific policy to resist sexual harassment is needed to curb such menace.
Additional Attorney General
Mansur Habib, Joint Secretary to Law Ministry Nasreen Begum, UGC Deputy Secretary Dr Mokhlesur Rahman and DU Prof Rafique-um-Munir Chowdhury also spoke.