Survey Signals Sexual Harassment Surge in Bangladesh Media

On average, 15 percent of journalists in Bangladesh have experienced direct sexual harassment in the workplace, according to a survey. Among the respondents, 43 percent of women and 14 percent of men reported facing online harassment. Similarly, 51 percent of women and 8 percent of men experienced verbal harassment, while 21 percent of women and 4 percent of men reported physical harassment. Additionally, 7 women and 2 men said they had been victims of rape.

These findings were presented by Arafat Siddiqui of BBC Media Action on 25 March, Wednesday, at a policy launch event on preventing sexual harassment held at the Holiday Inn in the capital. He stated that the survey was jointly conducted in 2025 by international organizations WAN-IFRA Women in News, City St George’s, University of London, and BBC Media Action. Presenting a summary of the survey conducted among 339 journalists, Siddiqui noted that the full report will be published soon. While detailed data on online harassment was not disclosed, he added that in cases of verbal harassment, no action was taken in 43 percent of complaints by women and 60 percent by men; even when action was taken, it was mostly limited to warnings.

The initiative was developed under the “Strengthening Women Journalists Network to Tackle Sexual Harassment” project, implemented by BBC Media Action with support from the FCDO.

The event was moderated by Angur Nahar Monti, Coordinator of Women Journalists Network Bangladesh (WJNB). Speakers at the panel discussion included NOAB President and Editor-in-Chief of Daily Manabzamin Matiur Rahman Chowdhury; Saiful Alam Chowdhury, faculty member of the Department of Mass Communication and Journalism at the University of Dhaka; Mir Masrur Zaman Rony, Chief News Editor of Channel i; Nazrul Islam Mithu, President of OCAB; Shararat Islam, Communications Analyst at UN Women Bangladesh; Sulaiman Niloy, protocol developer for BBC Media Action; and Md. Al Mamun, Country Director of BBC Media Action.

Other speakers included Ayesha Kabir, Editor of Prothom Alo Online English version; senior journalists Monima Sultana, Shahnaz Begum, Nadira Kiran, and Naznin Akhter; Shamima Ara Shiuli, Country Representative of Internews; Ziaul Kabir Sumon, Head of News at Boishakhi Television; and Nasima Akhter Soma, President of Bangladesh Women Journalists Association.

Among others present were ERF President Daulat Akhter Mala; senior journalists Shahnaz Munni, Shahnaz Sharmin, and Rita Nahar; psychologist Nazmul Hossain, Director of the Institute of Psychology and Health (IPH); Md. Minhaj Uddin, faculty member of Jagannath University; Miraj Ahmed Chowdhury of Digital Rights; Tanvir Sohel, editor at the Global Investigative Journalism Network; Amin Al Rashid of Channel One; Raju Ahmed, Deputy Editor of Bangladesh Pratidin; and SM Akash, CNE of Deepto TV.

DBTech/SM/MUM/OR