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The Financial Express

Call for law to check workplace harassment

| Updated: September 29, 2021 11:55:36


Illustrative photo — Collected Illustrative photo — Collected

Speakers at a workshop on Tuesday suggested enacting a law in the light of the court's guideline to prevent sexual abuse of women at workplaces and educational institutions.

They also emphasised building awareness among people of different forms of sexual abuse and harassment.

Parliamentarians, officials and rights activists were addressing a trainers' training workshop styled 'The directive in the form of Guideline by the High Court Division for Prevention of Sexual Harassment in Educational Institutions and the Workplace'.

Bangladeshi Ovibashi Mohila Sramik Association (BOMSA), Bangladesh Parliamentarians' Caucus on Migration and Development (BPCMD), and the Bureau of Manpower, Employment and Training (BMET) co-hosted it at a city hotel.

Mujibul Haque Chunnu, chairman of the standing committee on labour and employment ministry, attended the event as the chief guest.

The issue of enacting a law based on the High Court's guideline regarding prevention of sexual harassments in the workplace would be raised, he said.

The parliamentarian, however, said awareness has to be created among the young generation, especially at educational institutions.

It is needed to allocate funds to this effect, he observed.

BPCMD chair barrister Shameem Haider Patwary says sexual violence in society would be prevented if women are empowered and existing laws are implemented.

BMET director general Shahidul Alam said technical training centres (TTCs) and district employment and manpower offices (DEMOs) should create women-friendly environment at their offices properly.

Mahjabeen Khaled, secretary general of the caucus, moderated the programme.

He says if the dignity of women is guaranteed in society, sexual harassment would come down.

Officials from different DEMOs, TTCs and institutes of marine technologies (IMTs) joined the workshop.

With a BOMSA-parliamentarian caucus joint effort, 76 TTCs, 42 DEMOs and six IMTs will form committees as per the High Court's guideline.

So far, more than 50 committees have been formed in the above-mentioned offices.

In 2009, the HC issued a directive in the form of a guideline for prevention and protection from sexual abuse and harassment of women at all public-private institutions and in the workplace.

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