Rajshahi: Terming sexual harassment as a major impediment to education atmosphere for the women, speakers at an academic discussion suggested collective efforts for freeing the higher seats of learning including Rajshahi University (RU) from the social crime.

Speaking as the focal person, Abdul Alim, Associate Professor of Law Department of RU said, safe campus is a must for maintaining ideal academic atmosphere in the universities. But frequent incidents of sexual harassment and violence against women are obstructing that.

So, time has come to eradicate the social crime in schools, colleges and universities through creating awareness among the students besides enacting time-fitting laws and their proper enforcement.

Bangladesh National Women Lawyers Association (BNWLA) organized the meeting titled Say No to Sexual Harassment in the conference hall of Deans Complex of RU on Thursday afternoon. More than 150 students from different departments of the faculty of social science attended the meeting.

With Advocate Dil Sitara Chuni, Rajshahi divisional head of BNWLA, in the chair, Dean of Law Faculty Bishwajit Chanda, RU unit Convener of Anti- sexual Harassment Cell Prof Mahbuba Kaniz Keya and BNWLA Senior Expert Abu Hanif also spoke.

‘We need to establish more social networks and alliances involving government and non-government organisations, community people, civil society and media to attain the desired yield in this regard,’ said Abdul Alim.

He told the meeting that sometimes prevention and protest against sexual harassment and violence against women cannot take place due to unethical pressure and influence by the powerful section and lack of security.

Advocate Chuni said community people, parents and teachers should work together to protect the women from sexual harassment and the collective effort is very important in this regard.

There is no alternative to combat sexual harassment against girl students to establish a gender balanced society. Ensuring safe citizenship for girls through combating all sorts of violence against them, has become an urgent need for boosting women empowerment, she added.