DHAKA: Education Minister Nurul Islam Nahid Tuesday declared the government would pursue ‘zero’ tolerance against the tide of eve teasing as the problem bred a serious social menace across the country in recent times.

He reiterated the need for waging mass campaigns as a social movement against the eve-teasing mischief and the government would make new law, if necessary, for curbing the crime.

The minister made the comment while speaking as the chief guest at a seminar on eve teasing titled ‘Our Role in Preventing Eve Teasing” at the Shilpakala Academy. It was organized by Ain O Salish Kendra with its chairperson Hamida Hossain in the chair while Syed Ahmed, its’ Coordinator for International Advocacy Unit, presented the keynote.

Nahid announced that the government would observe ‘Eve- teasing Prevention Day’ on June 3 this year.

“The government has already given directives to all the schools and colleges to form a ‘prevention committee’ to protect girl students from eve teasing,” he informed to function.

Blaming the scarcity of budget in education sector he said it hampered government initiatives regarding the matter. “ We get only 2.23 percent of the whole budget while we need 6 to 8 percent to meet the demand,” he added.

Inspector-General of Police Noor Mohammad told the function as a special guest that social movement against eve teasing is a must to prevent the crime besides the law.


Sultana Kamal, Executive Director of the Ain O Salish Kendra and ex-adviser of caretaker government, said, “We have to work for the prestige and human rights of a woman to make them confident--and that can be the key to solving the problem”.

She blamed political interference for creating the problem that caused 15 girls to commit suicide being victim of eve-teasers in 2010.

Dr. Muhammad Jafar Iqbal emphasized co-education to build up a friendly relationship between boys and girls as away of getting over the problem. “Good understanding between them will be helpful for solving the problem,” he said.    

Teachers and students from different schools, colleges and universities, NGO workers and policymakers also participated in brainstorming session on the latest social and moral peril.

BDST: 1852HRS, May 18, 2010
TSA/MMA/MUA