Case Explained: Sexual Harassment: JnU student writes to the president for remedy – Legal Perspective

A Jagannath University student yesterday appealed to the president to ensure exemplary punishment to the teachers and their accomplices who allegedly sexually harassed her, threatened her and then failed her in an exam for filing a complaint in this regard.

In a letter to President Mohammed Shahabuddin, who is also the university’s chancellor, the student also demanded that a special committee be formed to investigate the incident and hold the university accountable for it.

She wrote that in December 2021, she was sexually harassed by a teacher of her department and when she filed a complaint, she faced retaliation from the department head and others. They threatened her with expulsion from the university and even death.

The Daily Star has seen a copy of the letter, which had a stamp showing it had been received by the president’s office.

According to university sources, the administration had launched an investigation last year, but it fell through and yielded no result till 2024.

Meanwhile, the Detective Branch of Dhaka Metropolitan Police yesterday interrogated the accused teachers and the student who filed the complaint.

Speaking to reporters after meeting DB officials, Abu Shahed Emon, the accused teacher of the university’s film and television department, refuted the allegations, claiming they are fictitious.

“We have provided them [DB officials] with the information they asked for.”

Regarding failing her in an exam, department Chairman Junaid Ahmed Halim, another accused, claimed the student did not attend second and seventh semester classes and did not submit her assignments.

About the sexual harassment allegations, he said, “As it is currently under legal proceedings, we can’t talk about it.”

On the other hand, the student told journalists that the teachers gave false information about why she obtained zero marks in her exam.

“I appeared for the test but they showed me absent. I mentioned this in my complaint.”

She further alleged the accused teachers were intimidating her in various ways because she spoke to the media.

“I told the DB officials that I was feeling unsafe. The DB chief told them [the teachers] not to threaten me in any way.”

DB chief Harun Or Rashid said, “The victim pleaded with us to ensure she be able to move freely. We conveyed this to the teachers, who assured us they would not disturb her.”

Regarding sexual harassment complaint, he said, “It is still under investigation.”

On Monday, the JnU student lodged a complaint with the DB, saying that she has been subjected to threats of death and expulsion from the university since coming forward with the accusations against those teachers in December 2021.

The recent death of JnU student Fairuz Sadaf Abontika gave her the impetus to file the complaint again, she told the media.