A five-day training workshop for bus drivers and helpers has begun in Dhaka to prevent sexual harassment in public transport.
Dhaka Transport Coordination Authority and Manusher Jonno Foundation jointly organised the training session, with support from the embassy of Sweden on Sunday.
Nilima Akhter, executive director of DTCA, inaugurated the training session, said a press release.
Nilima cited a BRAC study, which found that 94 per cent of women in Bangladesh face verbal, physical, or other forms of sexual harassment while using public transport. Among them, 66 per cent of the perpetrators were men aged around 41-60.
Lack of proper legal enforcement, overcrowding, inadequate lighting in buses and insufficient monitoring, such as the absence of CCTV cameras, contributed to the problem, she added.
鈥楾his initiative is part of the government鈥檚 commitment to ensuring women-friendly public transport,鈥� said DTCA executive director.
She also mentioned that sustainable national development was impossible without women鈥檚 advancement.
She urged behavioural changes among transport workers and passengers to create a safer commuting environment.
Highlighting DTCA鈥檚 efforts for inclusive public transport, she noted that previous initiatives introduced disability-friendly transport and promoted non-motorised mobility through observances like 鈥榃orld Car-Free Day.鈥�
MJF director Banashree Mitra Niyogi described sexual harassment as a social epidemic that undermines safety and stability.
She stressed that ensuring women鈥檚 dignity was essential for a peaceful society.
MJF programme manager Soma Dutta pointed out that apart from the national emergency helpline 999, people facing harassment could also seek help by calling 1098 and 109.
She called for greater public awareness of these helplines and encouraged bus drivers to report incidents they cannot control.
Dhrubo Alam, director of DTCA鈥檚 bus route rationalisation project, said that ensuring women鈥檚 safety in public transport was crucial.
鈥楾his training marks the start of a broader awareness campaign. Those who receive this training must share their knowledge, fostering positive change in the transport sector and society,鈥� he said.
He also announced that drivers and helpers would receive certificates upon completion of the training.
The event also featured speeches from DTCA鈥檚 training adviser Mohammad Hamid Mia.
The training sessions are being conducted by Subhasish Chandra Mohanto and DTCA鈥檚 traffic enforcement officer Md Selim Khan.
Meanwhile, MJF has launched a campaign 鈥� Safe Commutes, Respectful Cities 鈥� to address harassment in public transport and promote an inclusive and respectful environment for all passengers.
The campaign is being implemented under the community-based resilience and women鈥檚 empowerment and action project, funded by the embassy of Sweden and executed in collaboration with DTCA.
