NGO Employee Terminated Over Inappropriate Facebook Comment on Actress Shabnam Faria
A development worker at Sajida Foundation has been dismissed from his job after making an inappropriate comment on a Facebook post by popular television actress Shabnam Faria. The individual, identified as Rakibul Hasan, was a senior officer at Sajida Foundation and had previously worked as an intern in HR at BRAC, as well as a territory sales executive at Sapphire Brand and a customer care representative at Banglalink Digital.
The swift action taken by Sajida Foundation has been widely appreciated by netizens, who view it as a positive step toward maintaining professional ethics and combating online harassment.
Shabnam Faria shared an email regarding the incident in a verified Facebook post, stating, "I am very grateful that they took the matter very seriously. This institution has set an example of how every organization can play a role in preventing violence against women."
She further emphasized that violence is not only physical but can also take the form of online harassment or intimidation in public spaces, none of which should be tolerated.
Expressing her gratitude to the organization for terminating Rakibul Hasan, Faria remarked that such actions could lead to positive change and urged everyone to stand against such behavior.
The incident traces back to March 18, when Faria shared several video clips on her page, featuring lighthearted moments with national cricket team players. In one of the clips, she was heard jokingly saying, "I won’t stand next to Taskin; it will make me look shorter. Tamim Bhaiya, you come instead."
Rakibul Hasan made an offensive remark in the comment section of that post. Faria later took a screenshot of his comment along with his Facebook profile and demanded action against him. The following day, Sajida Foundation posted on Facebook that an investigation was underway. On March 23, in another Facebook post, Faria announced that the organization had terminated Rakibul Hasan.
Reflecting on the incident, Faria wrote, "We often see such comments and mostly choose to ignore them. But why should we ignore them? Just because someone has a mobile phone, does it give them the right to call someone a sex worker? Or were they born in a brothel and grew up seeing this, so they assume everyone else is the same?"
She further expressed her concern, stating, "There are many movements and talks about change in this country, but tell me, how do we change the mindset of such people? This gentleman worked at Sajida Foundation. Aren’t NGOs supposed to have the most progressive-minded people? If this is an example, I am speechless."
Faria’s post quickly went viral, with many Facebook users condemning the offensive comment and calling for legal action against the individual. She also thanked everyone for their support in standing against online harassment.
