Joint drive planned for safe campuses

The University Grants Commission of Bangladesh (UGC) and UN Women Bangladesh have agreed to launch joint initiatives aimed at preventing sexual and gender-based violence in higher education institutions, with a special focus on five selected public and private universities.

The decision was taken at a meeting between UGC Chairman Professor Dr Mamun Ahmed and a two-member UN Women Bangladesh delegation held at the UGC Bhaban on Thursday. The initiative will be implemented under the European Union-funded project titled “Ending Sexual and Gender-Based Violence in Public Spaces, Workplaces and Higher Education Institutions in Bangladesh”, which seeks to support the enforcement of High Court directives on preventing sexual harassment and to promote safer and more inclusive campus environments.

According to the plan, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) is expected to be signed by late June or early July 2026, after which a joint working group will be formed and quarterly coordination meetings will be held to monitor progress.

UN Women Bangladesh will also conduct a baseline study under the project, with field data collection scheduled for July-August 2026.

The programme will further include training for university stakeholders, the development of a gender policy framework, and the introduction of an online monitoring system to track compliance with relevant directives.

UGC Chairman Mamun Ahmed said the commission is committed to ensuring a safe and supportive academic environment, particularly for women, and assured full policy and technical support for the effective implementation of the initiative.