There'll be no mercy for those involved in sexual harassment: PM

Prime minister Sheikh Hasina on Monday said the government will surely mete out maximum punishment to the culprits, enacting tougher laws, if necessary, to prevent the growing incidents of sexual harassment.

"There'll be no mercy for those involved in sexual harassment... if necessary, we'll enact tougher laws and mete out maximum punishment to those who commit such crimes," she said pointing at the brutal killing of Feni madrasa girl Nusrat Jahan Rafi.

The prime minister came up with the remarks joining the discussion on a resolution placed in parliament urging parliaments, governments and citizens of all the countries of the world to put up resistance against terror incidents and sexual harassments.

Mentioning that militancy and terrorism are not only a problem of Bangladesh but also a global one, Sheikh Hasina said her government will do whatever necessary to combat the menaces.

Treasury bench MP Tofail Ahmed placed the proposal in the House, which was passed by voice vote after around a four-hour marathon discussion on it.

In the resolution, Bangladesh Jatiya Sangsad expressed its deep hatred and anger at the huge casualties in the terror attacks in New Zealand Christchurch mosques, Sri Lankan churches and hotels where Zayan Chowdhury who is a grandson of Chairman of Parliamentary Standing Committee on the Health Ministry Sheikh Fazlul Karim Selim was killed, as well as sexual harassment towards madrasa student Nusrat and burning her to death in Sonagazi upazila of Feni.

The prime minister renewed her call to the people of the country to inform intelligence agencies instantly if they come to know about any suspicious activity in order to tackle militancy and terrorism in the country.

"I would like to urge the people of country to inform our intelligence agencies instantly if you sense any abnormal activity so that we can face it and save people's lives and property," she said.

Terming Nusrat a brave girl, the prime minister said she neither bowed down to injustice nor agreed to withdraw the case filed against the principal of her madrasa. "After the incident, efforts were made to label Nusrat as a characterless one. She was burnt to death for showing this courage," she said.

"Some leaders of our party were associated with this principal. I instantly directed police telling them that I don't want to see who belong to which party. Criminals are criminals. They (the leaders) were arrested immediately. Such incidents can never be accepted," she said.

Sheikh Hasina firmly said the government will surely take action against those involved in such incidents, no matter whatever their political affiliation and views are.

Later, parliament unanimously adopted the resolution urging parliaments, governments and citizens of all countries of the world to put up resistance against terror incidents and sexual harassments.

Awami League MPs Amir Hossain Amu, Mohammad Nasim, Meher Afroze, Shajahan Khan, Mahbubul Alam Hanif, Moyeen Uddin Khan Badal and Aroma Dutta, Opposition Chief Whip Mashiur Rahman Ranga,Jatiya Party MPs Fakhrul Imam, Kazi Firoz Rashid and Rustum Ali Faraji, Workers' Party president Rashed Khan Menon and Jasod MP Shirin Akter, among others, participated in the discussion over the resolution.

Source: unb