Awareness workshop on sexual harassment prevention held at JnU

Jagannath University (JnU) on Monday hosted a special awareness workshop on the Jagannath University Sexual Harassment and Assault Prevention Policy-2026, aiming to foster a safe, inclusive, and harassment-free campus environment. Organised by the Department of Finance, the workshop was held at the university’s Central Auditorium under the chairmanship of the department’s Chairman, Prof Dr Baizid Ali. Vice-Chancellor Prof Dr Rais Uddin attended the programme as the chief guest.

Addressing the audience, the Vice-Chancellor stressed the importance of restoring humanity and promoting respect within the academic community. “When individuals lose their humanity, they turn into beasts, and sexual assault strips humans of their humanity.

We often witness a toxic culture of competition where people resort to defamation and harassment simply to prove themselves right. We must break free from this culture,” he said.

Reaffirming the university administration’s commitment to ensuring a safe campus, Prof Rais Uddin said the authorities were determined to eradicate all forms of harassment. He also announced plans to extend the awareness workshop to all 40 academic departments in phases and to restructure the university’s Anti-Sexual Harassment Committee.

University Treasurer Prof Sabina Sharmin and former Dean of the Faculty of Business Studies Prof Dr Monzur Morshed Bhuiya attended the event as special guests. The keynote address was delivered by Dr Farjana Ahmed, Professor of the Department of Psychology and a member of the university’s Anti-Sexual Harassment Committee.

The programme was coordinated and hosted by Alamgir Hossain and Nafisa Raonak, student advisers of the Department of Finance. Faculty members from different departments, Finance students, university officials, and staff members also attended the workshop.

The programme concluded with an interactive question-and-answer session, where students discussed various provisions of the policy and learned about the legal remedies available in cases of sexual harassment and assault.