Workplace Equality For Engineers Essential for Sustainable Development: IEB Seminar
Sustainable development is not possible without ensuring equality, safety, and justice in the workplace—such views emerged at a seminar held in the capital, where speakers stressed that workplace equality must be reflected in everyday practice, not remain confined to policy documents.
The seminar titled “Workplace Equality for Engineers: Human Rights, Gender-Based Violence and Justice” was organised by the Women Engineers Chapter (WEC) of the Institution of Engineers, Bangladesh (IEB) on Saturday, January 24, at the IEB headquarters in Ramna, Dhaka.
Speaking as the chief guest, IEB President and Chairman of the Capital Development Authority (RAJUK), Engineer Mohammad Riaz-ul-Islam (Rezu), said that although engineers play a crucial role in nation-building, discrimination within the profession weakens both individuals and institutions. “Workplace equality cannot remain limited to policy papers; it must be reflected in real-life practices,” he said.
He added that as a professional organisation, IEB must take a firm stance against harassment and injustice. An inclusive and fair work environment, he noted, is a prerequisite for sustainable development.
Chairman of the Power Development Board (PDB), Engineer Md Rezaul Karim, said that increasing the participation of women engineers is essential to strengthening the engineering sector. “The professional contributions of women engineers are extremely important in our workplaces, and institutions must prioritise them,” he said.
Calling for comprehensive support for the professional development of women engineers, he added, “We must make our utmost efforts to help women engineers move forward.”
Presenting the keynote paper, Lubna Jahan, District and Sessions Judge at the Ministry of Law, said incidents of gender-based violence in professional environments often remain undisclosed due to fear, social stigma, and power imbalances. “Many victims remain silent fearing they will not receive justice,” she said, emphasising the need for confidential complaint mechanisms and victim-friendly legal processes. She also identified a lack of legal awareness as a major reason for underreporting.
Bangladesh Police Superintendent Nusrat Jahan Mukta said workplace harassment and violence should never be treated as personal or internal matters. “Workplace violence is both a social and criminal offence. Law enforcement agencies must act swiftly, and institutions must cooperate instead of shielding perpetrators,” she said, stressing coordination among professional bodies, law enforcement agencies, and the judiciary.
A panel discussion on IEB’s role in developing women’s leadership was also held during the seminar, moderated by WEC member Engineer Nazifa Tasnim.
Representing the private sector, Engineer Naznin Akter, Director of Solaric Group, said the responsibility of ensuring a safe and discrimination-free work environment lies with employers. From the public sector, Engineer Muhammad Abdul Kawsar, Deputy General Manager of Titas Gas Transmission and Distribution PLC, highlighted the importance of grievance redress systems (GRS) and mandatory ethics and code of conduct training.
IEB Honorary General Secretary Professor Dr Engineer Md Sabbir Mostafa Khan said ensuring equality and justice in the engineering profession is an institutional responsibility. IEB Vice President (Academic and International) Engineer Khan Manjur Morshed emphasised stronger integration between academia and professional practice to promote human rights and gender sensitivity among future engineers.
Speaking as a special guest, IEB Vice President (Administration and Finance) Engineer ATM Tanbir-ul Hasan (Tamal) highlighted social and religious responsibilities in preventing gender-based violence and upholding human rights.
Another special guest, IEB Vice President (Service and Welfare) Engineer Niaz Uddin Bhuiyan, praised WEC’s initiative, noting that this was the first seminar at IEB dedicated to such issues. He called for prioritising prevention over treatment.
IEB Vice President (HRD) Engineer Sheikh Al Amin said women’s empowerment in the engineering profession should begin within IEB itself, stressing the need for greater representation of women engineers on the IEB Executive Committee.
Participants agreed that ensuring genuine workplace equality requires collective efforts at the policy, employer, institutional, and individual levels. They called for regular training on human rights and gender sensitivity, independent grievance redress mechanisms, and strict enforcement of existing laws.
The seminar was moderated by WEC Vice Chairperson Engineer Dilruba Farzana, who reaffirmed WEC’s commitment to creating a safe professional environment for women engineers.
A special segment was held in memory of late engineer Munmun Khan. The programme also featured a reflective discussion on WEC activities in 2025 and visits to stalls set up by women entrepreneur engineers.
Engineers, legal experts, members of law enforcement agencies, and representatives of various professional organisations attended the seminar. At the closing ceremony, commemorative tokens were presented to guests by WEC members Engineer Nazifa Anjum Nabila and Rimi Rashid.
The seminar concluded with a renewed commitment by WEC and IEB to continue sustained initiatives to ensure equality, safety, and justice in the workplace.
DBTech/MSI/EM/OR
