THE New Nation on Monday reported that several public and private university campuses have turned into fearful places for female students amidst rising sexual harassment by some male teachers. In many cases, teachers compel female students to succumb to their pressure under different allurements such as liberal marking of examination papers. On the other hand, they face threats if they want to ignore the requests.
It is shame that students were demanding expulsion of their teachers from at least four varsities including Jagannath University, Jahangirnagar University, Islamic University and Ahsanullah University on alleged ground of sexual advance on their students. We know that some varsity authorities are processing removal of the concerned teachers as they have found enough evidence of the criminal move against the female students. We believe universities must set example by expelling such teachers.
Teachers are architects to develop human faculties of their students, they are highly revered and followed as ideals for their students to grow and build careers. It is really unthinkable that teachers would entertain sensual feeling against their female students. But the growing disclosure that female students are falling victims to some male teachers’ desire is not only making the varsities unsafe to young female students but also that the moral standard of the teachers community as a whole is also coming under question. We know that some universities have removed teachers in the past on such allegations and it was expected that the punitive actions would contribute to reduce the crime. But agitation at four varsities at a time now shows that the environment is fast deteriorating. In such situation parents would think twice before sending their daughters to varsities.
What appears more painstaking is that rape and sexual crimes on women are capturing media headlines regularly in recent past showing the moral denegation and breakdown of law and order situation. Molestation of women on Pahela Baishakh last year also made people angry. But when such stories hit the media from the varsities, the shame to the nation hits the peak. We must say that varsities must protect their own dignity, everyone is not a wrong doer but such crime affects the dignity of the entire community. Such crime can’t be taken slightly, we believe Syndicates and Proctoral Bodies must develop new guidelines for such teachers threatening female students safety.
