Govt to form committees at educational insts

State Minister for Women and Children Affairs Ministry Meher Afroz Chumki yesterday said her ministry will issue letters to all deputy commissioners for initiatives to form committees at all educational institutes to reduce sexual harassment.

She was addressing an advocacy meeting on "Formulation of Sexual Harassment Prevention Act at Educational Institution and Workplace" in the capital's Cirdap Auditorium.

She said the committees would hear complaints of sexual harassment and take action accordingly.

The state minister also suggested introducing a system for students where they can submit incidents of sexual harassment once a year anonymously.

Chumki said the number of working females is increasingly and the society needs to make the working place safer.

Stressing the need for formulating the law "Sexual Harassment Prevention Act at Education and Workplace", Meher said they would meet with Bangladesh National Women Lawyers' Association (BNWLA) shortly for the draft and send it to the law ministry for vetting. BNWLA organised the meeting to discuss the draft.      

Salma Ali, executive director of BNWLA, Ali Akbar, district and sessions judge, and Fawzia Karim Firoze, president of BNWLA, also spoke.