Hight Court inquires progress of implementation
High Court (HC) yesterday issued a rule to know progress on the implementation of its 2009 directive that asked all educational institutions and workplaces across the country to form sexual harassment prevention committees.
The bench of Justice FRM Nazmul Ahasan and Justice KM Kamrul Kader asked the authorities to explain in two weeks why they should not be directed to submit the progress report through the Supreme Court’s registrar general.
The bench issued the rule following a writ petition filed by six rights organisations in April this year, including Bangladesh National Women Lawyers’ Association (BNWLA) seeking necessary orders in this regard, said Deputy Attorney General ABM Abdullah Al Mahmud Bashar.
The petitioners also prayed to the court to ask the authorities to attach a list of such committees, if formed, along with the progress report, DAG ABM Abdullah added.
Advocate Fawzia Karim Feroze appeared for the writ petitioners, while Deputy Attorney General ABM Abdullah-Al-Mahmud Bashar opposed the petition.
On May 14, 2009, HC issued a set of guidelines to prevent any kind of physical, mental or sexual harassment on women, girls and children at workplaces, educational institutions and other public places, across the country.
The HC also directed the government to formulate a law on the basis of the guideline, and ruled that it would be “treated as law” until the law was enacted.
According to the guideline, the court directed the authorities to form a five-member harassment committee, headed by a woman, at every workplace and institution to investigate allegations of sexual harassment on women. Majority of the committee members must be women, it ruled.b
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