Sexual harassment should be brought into legal framework

Sexual harassment is one of the social crimes that should be brought into legal framework to give legal protection to all -- irrespective of age, gender, status and profession, speakers said at a dialogue yesterday.

However, before finalising a draft law against sexual harassment, more discussions are needed on how to ensure implementation and that the proposed law will not overlap with the existing ones, they said at a consultation organised jointly by Bangladesh National Women Lawyers' Association (BNWLA) and National Girl Child Advocacy Forum at The Daily Star Centre in Dhaka.

The High Court delivered a judgement in 2009 to address the issue of sexual harassment at educational institutions and workplaces, responding to a petition by BNWLA, but no follow-up action or development has been noticed in nearly a decade to contain the problem.

Towhida Khandoker, director of BNWLA, yesterday drew attention to sexual harassment at public places, while presenting a draft of the proposed law, “Sexual Harassment Prevention Law 2018”. 

Many suggestions came from former and incumbent judges, judicial magistrate, labour leaders and rights activists, who participated at the event, regarding necessary amendments to the draft.

Speakers said a number of NGOs and advocacy forums were working separately on the issue but it was better to join hands so that they could come up with something concrete and implementable.

All public places and institutions should come under the purview of the law, they said.

Towhida during the presentation pointed out the need for designated tribunals to deal with harassment cases. Provisions were also included in the proposed draft for harassment on social media and through other digital means.

However, most of the participants, including judges who preferred not to be named, were of the opinion that the existing special tribunals like the Women and Children Repression Prevention Tribunals can be given the responsibility to hold trials of harassment cases.

They also said harassment through text messages, on social media and blackmailing by audio, video clips were dealt under cyber crimes, so it was better not to include those crimes in the act against sexual harassment.

The law should clearly give directions as to how to protect the victims of sexual harassment and how the courts can exercise power to ensure that they get compensation duly through a proper channel, discussants said.

Badiul Alam Majumder, president of the Girl Child Advocacy Forum, was the moderator while Nasima Akhter Joly, secretary of the forum, gave the welcome speech.