Sexual Harassment: HC asks foreign ministry to submit probe report
The High Court yesterday sought a probe report from the sexual harassment prevention committee formed by the foreign ministry over the alleged sexual and mental harassment of a ministry official.
The director general of foreign ministry’s research wing, who is also the head of sexual harassment prevention committee, has been asked to submit the report to the HC within 30 days.
The court also issued a rule asking the authorities concerned to explain why their inaction against three foreign ministry officials for mentally and sexually harassing a female official at home and abroad should not be declared illegal.
The HC bench of Justice M Enayetur Rahim and Justice Md Mostafizur Rahman came up with the order and rule following a writ petition filed by the female official, who worked at the ministry’s research wing.
Petitioner’s lawyer Barrister Jyotirmoy Barua told The Daily Star that three foreign ministry officials had harassed his client sexually and mentally at their offices in Tokyo, Mumbai and Dhaka in 2013, 2014 and 2015.
Following an allegation, the foreign ministry formed a sexual harassment prevention committee on April 23 last year in line with an HC verdict delivered in 2009. In the verdict, the HC directed the authorities concerned to form a five-member committee headed by a woman at every workplace and institution to investigate allegations of harassment.
The committee recorded the woman’s statement on June 27 last year but it is yet to publish a probe report, or take any action against the three officials who harassed her, the lawyer claimed.
Meanwhile, the foreign ministry in a statement yesterday said the female official has been sacked as allegation of misbevaviour against her was proven in its probe.
Comments