Editorial
The message from TIB
Sexual harassment must stop
The message coming out of the human chain organised by Transparency International Bangladesh on Wednesday is clear: unless sexual harassment is stopped at educational institutions, it is the higher calling of learning that will be in jeopardy. Indeed, it is a theme we at this newspaper as well as whole bodies of citizens across the country have emphasised in these past many months. And since the scandal arising out of the unethical behaviour of a teacher at Viqarunnissa School some weeks ago, the issue has acquired greater urgency for all of us.
The TIB campaign has focused on the need for a code of conduct to be brought in for everyone involved with educational institutions. That naturally covers schools, colleges and universities and those involved in their working --- teachers, students and everyone else. It is certainly a matter of sadness and shame that this talk of a code of conduct has now come up. But when sexual harassment of young women in the very places where they are expected to come in touch with the higher values of life is today part of the sad reality, we need to strike back hard. It is not that sexual harassment is new. In the past too there have been such reports from universities and colleges, the difference being that those reports were all hushed up either through intimidation or because of the victims' fear of being shamed further through a public exposure of the truth.
The time is now here for a firm handling of the menace. The message that sexual harassment at educational institutions must be resisted and those indulging in it must be named and shamed should go out to the country. We need to cleanse our schools, colleges and universities and indeed other places of this affliction.
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