HC directives left unimplemented
Incidents of sexual harassment are taking place repeatedly because of non-implementation of High Court directives to prevent such crimes, said lawyers of Bangladesh National Woman Lawyers' Association (BNWLA).
They cited the HC judgments of May 2006, May 2009 and January 2011, which defined sexual harassment and issued specific directives to all educational institutions and workplaces to prevent such incidents.
"People are still not aware of these laws," said advocate Salma Ali, executive director of BNWLA at a press conference on 'High Court directives to prevent sexual harassment and the necessity of a law' at the Jatiya Press Club yesterday morning.
She said after the recent attacks on women on the Bangla New Year, BNWLA lawyers met the vice chancellor of Dhaka University and the state minister for home and gave them copies of the judgments.
She also said that as a petitioner of the cases, BNWLA would monitor the steps the government takes to implement these directives, which include, among others, forming separate cells in every police station to receive complaints of sexual harassment.
Salma Ali also called on the women, who were attacked on April 14, to contact BNWLA on their hotline numbers 01711800400, 01711800401, 01711800406 and 01711800407 to get legal assistance.
"If you do not come forward the assaulters will get away with the crime," she said, promising to keep details of the affected women confidential.
Referring to the reaction of the government regarding the Pahela Baishakh incident, advocate Fouzia Karim Firoze, president of the organisation said, "Neither the government nor the opposition has ever addressed these issues."
She also criticised the police's role and failure to rescue victims of sexual harassment on the day. She emphasised the need for witness protection law and revision of the Evidence Act.
Salma Ali read out the press statement, which also included seven demands made by BNWLA.
The demands include forming a judicial probe committee to investigate the alleged negligence by police in the Pahela Baishakh incident, making the probe report of Dhaka University public, revising Section 509 of Penal Code 1860, and enacting a complete law to prevent sexual harassment.
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