Staff Reporter :
The High Court on Monday issued a rule to know the progress on implementation of one of its directives from 2009 that committees must be formed at all educational institutions and workplaces across the country for the prevention of sexual harassment. In the rule, the court asked the authorities concerned of the government to explain in two weeks as to why they should not be directed to submit the progress report to this court through the Registrar General of the Supreme Court, Deputy Attorney General A B M Abdullah Al Mahmud Bashar told reporters.
The HC bench of Justice F R M Nazmul Ahasan and Justice K M Kamrul Kader came up with the rule following a writ petition filed in this regard.
Six rights organizations, including Bangladesh National Women Lawyers’ Association (BNWLA), filed the plea with the HC seeking its directive on the government to submit a report on whether the committees were formed at all educational institutions and workplaces in line with the 2009 directive.
In the petition, the rights organizations prayed to the court so that it orders the authorities concerned to submit a list of such committees, if formed, through the Registrar General of the Supreme Court. Advocate Fawzia Karim Feroze appeared for the writ petitioners, while Deputy Attorney General A B M Abdullah-Al-Mahmud Bashar opposed the petition.
Following a writ petition, the HC on May 14, 2009, issued a set of guidelines defining sexual misdemeanors to prevent any kind of physical, mental or sexual harassment of women, girls and children at workplaces, educational institutions and other public places, including roads, across the country.
The HC directed the government to make a law on the basis of the guidelines and ruled that the guidelines would be “treated as law” until the law was made. The court directed the authorities concerned to form a five-member harassment complaint committee, headed by a woman, at every workplace and institution to investigate allegations of harassment of women. Majority of the committee members must be women, it ruled.
According to the guidelines, nobody can touch or hurt with any bad intention any part of the body of a girl or woman. Any indecent word or comment cannot be used about them, and any unknown adult girl or a woman cannot be addressed as a beautiful one with any bad intention.
The HC prohibited the authorities concerned from disclosing the names and addresses of the complainants and accused persons until the allegations are proved. It also criminalized teasing women and children through e-mail or telephone, and ordered that any kind of provocation or character assassination will have to be stopped.
