Committee:

Policy:

The State University of Bangladesh (SUB), guided by its principle of “Meritum Ethicus” (merit with ethics), is committed to providing a safe, dignified and inclusive academic, residential and working environment for every member of its community. Sexual harassment is a violation of fundamental human rights, equality and dignity, and is strictly prohibited within the University.

To give effect to this commitment, the University maintains a Sexual Harassment Complaint Committee in accordance with the directives of the Hon’ble High Court Division of the Supreme Court of Bangladesh. The Committee is the designated body responsible for receiving complaints, conducting inquiries, ensuring due process and recommending appropriate action, and it functions with impartiality, confidentiality and sensitivity.

In light of evolving legal, institutional and social understandings of sexual harassment, and the need for a more comprehensive and preventive approach, the University has revised its framework. The Committee is now named the Sexual Harassment Prevention Committee (SHPC). The change reflects a shift from a primarily complaint-driven mechanism to a holistic model that emphasises prevention, awareness, protection and timely redress. This policy incorporates broader definitions of harassment, including digital and off-campus conduct, and strengthened support and response mechanisms.

This Prevention of Sexual Harassment and Complaint Resolution Policy is formulated in accordance with the directives of the High Court Division in the landmark judgment of Bangladesh National Women Lawyers Association (BNWLA) vs. Bangladesh (2009), which established binding guidelines for all workplaces and educational institutions in the absence of specific legislation. It is also aligned with the expectations and monitoring framework of the University Grants Commission (UGC) of Bangladesh, which requires universities to maintain functional sexual harassment prevention committees and to implement effective preventive and remedial measures, and it complements the Student Code of Conduct, including the Anti-Ragging and Bullying Policy, set out in the SUB Student Handbook.

By implementing this policy, SUB seeks to build a campus culture in which every student, teacher, officer and employee feels safe, valued and empowered to pursue academic and professional goals without fear of harassment or discrimination.

The policy aims to establish a safe, respectful and equitable environment for all members of the University community. In alignment with national legal frameworks and institutional responsibilities, its objectives are:

i.       To create awareness of sexual harassment and its consequences across the SUB campus, hostels and University-related activities;

ii.      To set clear standards of acceptable behaviour for students, faculty, officers, staff and associated persons;

iii.     To provide a fair, transparent, confidential and time-bound procedure for the reporting, investigation and resolution of complaints;

iv.     To protect complainants, respondents and witnesses from retaliation and to ensure that affected persons receive medical, counselling, legal and academic support; and

v.      To uphold the institutional values of SUB by fostering a culture of mutual respect and professional dignity.

Sexual harassment is any kind of sex-related mental, emotional or physical abuse of an individual: a student, teacher, officer or other employee of the University. It may be perpetrated by any individual, regardless of gender, and the victim may likewise be of any gender.

The High Court Division of the Supreme Court of Bangladesh in BNWLA vs. Bangladesh, 29 BLD (HCD) 415 (2009), described sexual harassment as including, among other things:

a)      unwelcome sexually determined behaviour, such as physical contact and advances;

b)     attempts to establish a sexual relationship by using administrative power, authority or position;

c)      sexually coloured verbal representation and the demand or expectation of sexual favours;

d)     sexually coloured remarks or the showing of pornography;

e)     indecent gestures, teasing through abusive language, stalking, and jokes with sexual implications;

f)      insult through letters, telephone calls, mobile phone calls, text messages and similar means, or through objectionable posters, cartoons or graffiti;

g)      taking still or video photographs for sexual purposes, and blackmail or threats using sexually coloured photographs;

h)     love proposals accompanied by pressure or threats in case of refusal; and

i)       preventing participation in sports, cultural, organisational and academic activities on the ground of sex or sexual identity.

The policy is further aligned with international human rights standards, including CEDAW and the relevant guidelines of the International Labour Organization, which recognise sexual harassment as a form of discrimination and affirm that it can occur irrespective of gender and in both same-sex and opposite-sex contexts.

Accordingly, sexual harassment is defined for the purposes of this policy as unwanted, unwelcome and inappropriate conduct or behaviour of a sexual nature that is perceived as harassment by the receiver. Unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favours and any inappropriate sexual conduct may be regarded as sexual harassment. What one person perceives as harassment another may not, but the defining characteristic is that the behaviour is offensive to and unwanted by the recipient and would be regarded as sexual harassment by any person of ordinary prudence.

4.1. The principal institutional legal basis is the judgment of the High Court Division of the Supreme Court of Bangladesh in BNWLA v. Bangladesh (Writ Petition No. 5916 of 2008; judgment dated 14 May 2009). The judgment directs educational institutions and workplaces in both public and private sectors to maintain effective mechanisms for prevention and redress of sexual harassment.

4.2. UGC Bangladesh has published the High Court guidelines and has continued to emphasise functional complaint committees, transparent complaint mechanisms, awareness, mental-health protection and prompt handling of complaints. In August 2026, UGC publicly stated that merely forming committees is insufficient and that complaints should be taken seriously, investigated promptly and followed by necessary action.

4.3. The University shall also comply with all applicable legislation concerning employment, criminal offences, child protection, disability, privacy/confidentiality, cyber offences and evidence, as amended from time to time.

4.4. A 2026 national legislative initiative concerning prevention of sexual harassment at workplaces and educational institutions was approved in draft form during January 2026, and a subsequent Ministry of Women and Children Affairs notice records inter-ministerial work concerning a proposed 2026 law. Because the publicly available materials reviewed for this policy do not establish a final gazetted text in force, this policy does not treat the proposed 2026 instrument as an enacted law. Any applicable enacted law or Gazette shall automatically prevail over inconsistent institutional provisions.

4.5. For digital conduct, the University shall take account of applicable cyber law. The Cyber Security Act, 2026 includes provisions concerning cyber sexual harassment, blackmailing, revenge pornography, sextortion and digitally created or edited material, including AI-generated or AI-edited material.

Sexual harassment may be committed in any of the following forms, whether on campus, in the hostels, on University transport, at University-related events or online.

5.1. Physical Conduct

i.       Physical violence;

ii.      Unwelcome physical contact, such as touching, patting, stroking, grabbing, pinching and hugging;

iii.     Blocking someone’s path, or cornering them, with the purpose of making a sexual advance.

5.2. Verbal Conduct

i.       Comments on a person’s appearance, body, age, private life and the like that are unwelcome or sexually coloured;

ii.      Sexual comments, stories and jokes;

iii.     Sexual advances, explicit or implicit;

iv.     Repeated unwelcome social invitations or proposals;

v.      Insults based on the sex or gender identity of a person;

vi.     Telling lies or spreading rumours about a person’s personal or sexual life.

5.3. Non-verbal Conduct

i.       Display of sexually explicit or suggestive material, including posters, cartoons or graffiti on notice boards, in classrooms, laboratories, studios, washrooms or hostels;

ii.      Sexually suggestive gestures;

iii.     Staring, stalking, following, whistling and similar behaviour.

5.4. Internet and Digital Harassment

i.       Sending unsolicited and/or threatening e-mails or messages;

ii.      Encouraging others to send the victim unsolicited or threatening messages, or to overwhelm the victim with messages;

iii.     Sending viruses by e-mail or otherwise damaging someone’s digital systems (electronic sabotage);

iv.     Spreading rumours;

v.      Making defamatory comments about the victim on social media or in public discussion areas;

vi.     Sending negative or abusive messages directly to the victim;

vii.    Impersonating the victim online by sending inflammatory, controversial or enticing messages that cause others to respond negatively to the victim;

viii.   Harassing the victim during a live chat or online class;

ix.     Leaving abusive messages on websites, guest books or social media pages;

x.      Sending the victim pornography or other graphic material that is knowingly offensive;

xi.     Creating a web page, social media account, group or blog entry that depicts the victim in negative or sexualised ways;

xii.    Recording, photographing, sharing or threatening to share intimate or sexually coloured images or videos of a person without consent.

5.5. Abuse of Authority and Hostile Environment

i.       Making a benefit, grade, evaluation, recommendation, scholarship, waiver, appointment, promotion or any other academic or professional opportunity depend, expressly or impliedly, on submission to sexual conduct;

ii.      Threatening or taking adverse action against a person because they refused a sexual advance;

iii.     Any pattern of sexual conduct that creates an intimidating, hostile or offensive environment for study, residence or work.

The following actions, when carried out in a respectful, appropriate and professional manner, shall not ordinarily be considered sexual harassment:

i.       Consensual interactions, relationships or communications between adults, provided that consent is freely given and there is no element of coercion, undue influence or abuse of authority;

ii.      Normal academic, administrative or supervisory actions, including constructive criticism, performance evaluation, grading or disciplinary measures, conducted in a fair and professional manner;

iii.     Non-sexual social interactions or courteous behaviour that are appropriate to the context and not unwelcome or offensive;

iv.     Legitimate academic discussions, teaching materials, research activities or debates that involve sexual or gender-related topics, where presented in an appropriate educational or professional context;

v.      Casual compliments or remarks that are respectful, non-sexual in nature and not repeated after being found unwelcome;

vi.     Accidental or incidental contact that is not intended to be sexual in nature and is not repeated after objection.

7.1. Persons Covered

This policy applies to all individuals associated with the State University of Bangladesh, including but not limited to:

i.       All employees and students of the University who are sexually harassed by any other employee or student;

ii.      An employee or student of the University who sexually harasses or exploits anyone involved in any SUB activity, including students, volunteers, interns, guest teachers, visitors and others connected with the University in any way;

iii.     An employee or student of the University who sexually harasses any person from another institution or organisation related to the University, including partner institutions, internship and placement hosts, and indirect staff hired as service providers;

iv.     Indirect staff hired by contractors or service providers (for example security, cleaning, transport, cafeteria and hostel service personnel) who sexually harass SUB students, employees or staff.

7.2. Places and Contexts Covered

The policy applies to conduct occurring on the Permanent Campus and any other University premises; in University hostels; on University transport, including shuttle and bus services; at academic, co-curricular and extra-curricular activities, student club events, seminars, field visits, industry visits and internships; and in online spaces, including e-mail, learning platforms, messaging applications and social media, where the conduct is connected to University life or affects a member of the University community, whether or not it takes place on campus or during working hours.