On 3 October last, a woman called Ishrat jumped from a moving bus when the helper and the driver tried to take her to a secluded spot with an intent to rape.
Ishrat later took the help of the police to come back home.
Ishrat, a second year student of Eden College, feels that no woman is safe at night. Many women have voiced similar concerns.
Other women who use public transport like Leguna say that 94 per cent women commuters face some form of sexual harassment.
A BRAC research states that sexual harassment include: inappropriate touching, standing too close, gentle nudges, touching the hair, touching the shoulder etc.
Many of the women tend to maintain silent on such behaviour.
Secretary-general of the passenger welfare association, Mozammel Huq Chowdhury, told Bangla Tribune: “only responsible behaviour of men can improve the situation of women.”
Deputy-director of Bangladesh Nari Pragati Shangha, Shahnaz Sumi, told Bangla Tribune: “more women are working now, therefore, many are using public transport. However, in public places, they do not get the support they require to stand up to sexual harassment.”
Teacher of women and gender studies of Dhaka University, Dr. Fahmida Yasmin, told Bangla Tribune: “despite law, there isn’t proper implementation.”
Family and institutional education is essential with awareness needed within the family sphere, she added.
Meanwhile, people who harass women need to be provided psychological counselling, she suggested.