Safe environment necessary in academic institutions

It was reported by a Bangla daily last weekend that female students from the Department of Botany of Nawab Siraj-Ud Dowla Government College, Natore have sent letters to journalists and human rights activists. In the letters they have described the case of a female student who has been sexually harassed by a teacher from the department.

The students have appealed all to come forward and save the life of the victim so that she does not face the same fate as Nusrat Jahan Rafi, the madrasa student from Sonagazi Islamia Fazil (Degree) Madrasa in Feni. Nusrat was set ablaze on April 06, after she did not withdraw a sexual harassment case she had filed against the madrasa principal. She passed away at the Dhaka Medical College Hospital on April 10.

If we open the newspapers, almost on a daily basis we will read of incidents where female students are being sexually harassed.

Last week, a female student of Chattogram University jumped off a moving bus in Chattogram in a desperate attempt to save herself from harassers.

These incidents are appalling. Like the students in Natore, everyone from society and from all walks of life should protest if they see that a woman or girl is being harassed or molested. We should ensure safe environment in the academic institutions of our country.

Hosne Ara

Dhanmondi, Dhaka