A recently terminated female employee of the Dhaka Stock Exchange (DSE), Bangladesh’s premier bourse, has accused DSE AGM Nasir Uddin Reza of workplace harassment and intimidation, alleging that she was subsequently dismissed from her job in retaliation for protesting against the alleged misconduct.
The former employee, Mariam Akter Tina, has filed a general diary (GD) with Khilkhet Police Station in connection with the allegations.
In her complaint, Tina alleged that while she was working in the DSE’s Monitoring Department in 2018, Nasir Reza, who was her immediate supervisor at the time, began harassing and allegedly making inappropriate advances toward her, taking advantage of her social circumstances as a single mother.
She alleged that Reza sent her messages at inappropriate hours, made video calls and made indirect suggestive remarks. At one point, she claimed, he directly made an unethical proposal to her in front of the office canteen.
Tina said she informed the then head of the department, Shafiqul Islam Bhuiyan, who is currently serving as Acting Chief Regulatory Officer (CRO), about the alleged harassment, but no action was taken.
She subsequently made a verbal complaint to then CRO Ziaul Hasan Khan. According to Tina, after considering the allegations, the then CRO called Nasir Reza and Shafiqul Islam Bhuiyan and warned them over the incident.
Tina alleged that Reza subsequently became vindictive toward her and threatened to “teach her a lesson.” She further alleged that Reza later moved to the Human Resources (HR) Department with the backing of influential quarters and administrative support.
According to Tina, after assuming a position in HR, Reza used his authority to include her name on a list of employees to be terminated, allegedly as an act of retaliation, without issuing her any show-cause notice or warning.
“Being a single mother, my job was my only means of supporting myself and my child in Dhaka. I have been terminated despite having no professional shortcomings, simply because I protested workplace harassment. This is a serious violation of human rights and labour rights,” Tina said.
She demanded an immediate, fair and impartial investigation into the allegations and exemplary punishment for those found responsible. She also called for her reinstatement on humanitarian and equitable grounds and urged the DSE authorities to ensure a safe and harassment-free working environment for women employees.
Tina has also sought cooperation from the Capital Market Journalists’ Forum (CMJF) and the Bangladesh Securities and Exchange Commission (BSEC), the capital market regulator, in her effort to secure reinstatement and justice over what she described as an unfair termination in retaliation for protesting workplace harassment.
She claimed that throughout her career, she had never faced allegations of professional misconduct, disciplinary violations or negligence in her duties. She also said the DSE authorities had never served her with any notice or warning regarding her work.
When contacted for his comment on the allegations, Nasir Uddin Reza disconnected the phone after learning that the caller was a journalist. Repeated attempts to contact him later went unanswered.
Khilkhet Police Station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Furat Al Hossain confirmed that a woman had filed a complaint regarding the matter.
“The woman has lodged a complaint. An investigating officer is looking into the matter. Necessary legal action will be taken after completion of the investigation,” he said.
The allegations made by Tina have not yet been independently verified, and the police investigation is ongoing.
