Dhaka: Directorate General of the Nursing and Midwifery (DGNM) has issued an order for the formation of committees aimed at preventing sexual harassment in medical education and service institutions. This directive aligns with an existing court order.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, the directive was communicated through a letter signed by DGNM's director of administration, Md. Momin Uddin, who is also a Deputy Secretary. The letter highlighted the necessity to establish a Workplace Safety and Security Committee (WSPC) and emphasized the importance of conducting regular meetings to address and prevent sexual harassment in all health-related educational and service facilities.
The directive follows a prior ruling on January 9 by a High Court bench consisting of Justice Farah Mahbub and Justice S. M. Maniruzzaman. The court mandated the formation of committees to combat sexual harassment across both governmental and private organizations. Legal representatives Syeda Nasrin and Shahinuzzaman presented the writ petition that led to this order.