Academics, activists question Dhaka Stream's action on sexual harassment complaint after staff's death
Dhaka Stream swiftly issued a statement yesterday, condemning the current social media narratives as "misleading".
Five prominent female academics and activists have raised questions regarding the role of the authorities of Dhaka Stream in handling allegations of sexual abuse brought on by many of its employees including one of their graphics designers Sornomoye Biswas.
The body of Sornomoye Biswas, 28, a junior graphic designer at the recently launched Dhaka Stream, was recovered from her home in Dhanmondi yesterday (19 October) in what police suspect to be a case of suicide. Her death came months after she, along with 26 other colleagues, lodged a serious complaint against Altaf Shahnewaz, alleging "sexual harassment" and "inappropriate behaviour".
Dhaka Stream swiftly issued a statement yesterday, condemning the current social media narratives as "misleading".
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In response, five prominent women — Professor Rehnuma Ahmed, Professor Gitiara Nasreen, Professor Mirza Taslima Sultana, researcher and activist Saydia Gulrukh, and Dhaka University teacher Samina Luthfa — wrote to Dhaka Stream's Editor-in Chief Golam Iftekhar Mahmud, demanding transparency regarding the investigation.
The signatories reminded the former Prothom Alo journalist that the High Court had issued specific directives in 2010 for preventing and resolving sexual harassment in the workplace, and expressed concern that the outlet's public statement raised more questions than answers.
The letter specifically said, "We want to know what steps you, as a senior official, took in accordance with the High Court's directives regarding this complaint."
They sharply questioned the composition and mandate of the internal probe, whether the two-member investigation committee followed High Court directives regarding the gender ratio and the inclusion of an external member.
They questioned what the Terms of Reference (ToR) for the committee were, pointing out that the original complaint was about "sexual harassment," not merely "discourteous behaviour," yet Dhaka Stream's statement claimed action was taken based on proof of the latter.
The letter also questioned the effectiveness of the action taken, noting that merely withdrawing a divisional head from the newsroom might not be an effective measure against sexual harassment, especially since the accused was not temporarily suspended, as is often the norm in such cases.
The women further challenged the media house's claim that the complainants expressed satisfaction with the action taken, asking for evidence to substantiate this claim.
Dhaka Stream's previous statement confirmed that the complaint was submitted on 13 July, following which Altaf Shahnewaz was withdrawn from the newsroom and a two-member investigation committee was formed.
The committee's report found evidence of "discourteous behaviour," and the withdrawal decision was upheld.
The Business Standard's attempts to contact Shahnewaz were unsuccessful, and some social media posts allege he was reinstated instead of facing disciplinary action.
The incident has sparked concern among women's rights organisations as well, with Bangladesh Mohila Parishad issuing a statement highlighting workplace safety for women, while the Amrai Pari – Domestic Violence Prevention Coalition also expressed deep concern.
