Institutional Response to the High Court Directives on Sexual Harassment Prevention in Bangladesh : evidence from UGC- Approved Universities in Khulna District.

Sexual harassment is a violation of human rights that undermines the honor and dignity of individuals, particularly but not limited to women. In response to the growing concern over sexual harassment in academic environments and citing Bangladesh’s CEDAW obligations, the High Court Division in 2009 issued directives for sexual harassment prevention in educational institutions until specific laws are enacted. This study looks into how UGC-approved universities in Khulna responded to those directives. It addresses a significant research gap by moving the focus from victim experiences to how institutions comply in a region that has not been previously examined. Using a mixed-method approach, the study reviews legal frameworks and gathers data from Key Informant Interviews (KIIs) with committee members and university administrators. It also includes Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) with female students. The findings show that while all six universities sampled have complaint committees, their operation, visibility, and continuity differ widely. Public universities usually have more structured and ongoing efforts than private ones, where committees often exist only on paper. One important finding is that students are largely unaware of the HCD guidelines, the committees’ existence, and how to report issues. They face major barriers to reporting, such as fear of repercussions, victim-blaming, lack of anonymity, and a tendency to seek informal resolutions through friends or trusted faculty. The normalization of some harassing behaviors also contributes to a culture of silence. The committees themselves encounter significant obstacles, including limited budgets, insufficient staff and office space, and no financial support for members, all of which affect their ability to function effectively. This study recommends that universities take concrete steps to secure campuses. They should strengthen confidential reporting systems, establish professional counseling services, build digital investigative capacity, allocate enough resources, and improve awareness through structured outreach programs. It also suggests stronger UGC oversight, functional and regularly updated committees, and, most importantly, the enactment of a law to replace the 2009 High Court Division directives to provide sustainable and adaptable protections.

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