Eminent citizens urge fair investigation into Swarnamoyee’s death

Prominent writers, journalists and academics have issued a joint statement demanding a fair investigation into the death of Dhaka Stream employee Swarnamoyee Biswas.

Signatories include poet Nirmalendu Goon, lawyer ZI Khan Panna, former Jahangirnagar University vice-chancellor Prof Abdul Bayes, TIB Executive Director Iftekharuzzaman, lawyer Jyotirmoy Barua, and Dhaka University professors Zobaida Nasreen, Samina Luthfa, Khandaker Kamrul Hasan Mamun and Kaberi Gayen, as well as novelist Nasreen Jahan.

The statement from 243 citizens called for immediate legal action against those responsible following a proper investigation, as well as an inquiry into the role and alleged negligence of online portal Dhaka Stream’s management.

It also urged strict enforcement of workplace sexual harassment prevention policies to ensure the safety, dignity and justice of women employees across all institutions.

Swarnamoyee, 28, a graphic designer at the newly-launched Dhaka Stream, was found dead on Saturday night, according to Tejgaon Division Deputy Commissioner Ibn Mizan.

Police and family members suspect the cause of death to be a suicide.

However, many have pointed fingers at Dhaka Stream’s senior official Altaf Shahnewaz, who had previously faced allegations of sexual harassment and misconduct brought by Swarnamoyee and 25 other employees.

The joint statement was sent to the media on Tuesday by Jahangirnagar University Associate Professor of Anthropology Rezwana Karim Snigdha and journalist Girish Goiric.

They also questioned why Dhaka Stream’s Chief Editor Golam Iftekhar Mahmud failed to take disciplinary action against Altaf despite receiving written and “evidence-based” complaints from 26 staff members.

According to the statement, “Under standard procedure, the suspect should have been suspended temporarily. Instead, he was retained in his position. We believe the editor-publisher and the head of human resources cannot evade their moral and administrative responsibility in this matter.”

It said that Dhaka Stream’s failure to follow the High Court’s directive requiring every organisation to form a workplace sexual harassment prevention committee and follow proper inquiry procedures constitutes a clear violation of law and human rights.

The signatories added that the incident reflects not only the negligence of one institution but also the grim reality faced by women workers across Bangladesh.