Ekushey TV’s staffers demanded exemplary punishment for the channel’s Chief Reporter MM Sekander who has been accused of sexually harassing a female co-worker.
They demonstrated through a human chain in front of National Press Club on Wednesday (Feb 6), demanding punishment for Sekander and those who helped him harass the co-worker.
“One of our colleagues has been harassed sexually and no action has been taken against it,” said ETV News Room Editor Masuma Lisa.
“Manjurul Ahsan Bulbul is quiet even after he heard the news,” she added, saying that whenever they tried to protest, he labeled them as “anti-Liberation War forces.”
“Manjurul Ahsan Bulbul and his disciples are slowly running Ekushe TV to the ground,” Lisa alleged.
She then demanded that he be banished for keeping quiet on an issue such as sexual harassment despite being a journalist leader.
The staffers at the human chain said that they want a safe work environment and punishment for the perpetrators.
A woman, who is a reporter in ETV, filed a written complaint to the channel authorities against Sekander.
The three-page-long letter, she wrote to ETV’s managing director, details how the harassments took place.
She alleged that Sekandar has been sexually harassing her for a long time and when she took the matter to the higher authorities they didn’t pay any heed.
She said that she met Sekandar in a private institute where she was pursuing a course on reporting. It was via Sekandar, who used to teach there, that she got a job in ETV.
Sekandar allegedly had been sexually harassing her ever since she joined the channel. She was made to stay at the office till late into the night without any reason. Sekandar, then used to offer to drop her home only for the intent of harassing her in his car, she claimed.
She further alleged that a number of other employees of ETV helped Sekandar harassing her.
He was arrested on Feb 4 and police have been given two days to grill him over the matter.