Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

Daffodil International University

Anti-Harassment and Non-Discriminatory Policy

Created in February 2019
Updated in December 2023

Introduction:

Daffodil International University (DIU) is committed to ensure equal rights for the students, faculty members and administrative employees maintaining an impartial attitude and ensuring anti-discrimination & anti-harassment environment. In order to establish proper procedure for making complaint and allegations involving university students and staff, a policy-guidelines are forwarded. The University recognizes and varies the diversity of experiences and expectations of its students and staff and is committed to treating them both academically, administratively and personally, in a fair and transparent manner. The Proctorial Committee of the university is responsible for resolving the incidents.

Objectives:

  • To safeguard the interest of students and staff of DIU against discrimination and harassment
  • To protect any discrimination due to educational and employment disadvantage
  • To ensure non-discrimination for transgender (Hijra in Bengali) people in campus
  • To safeguard the interest of persons with disability in campus
  • To ensure an impartial, justified, true, fair and conducive environment for university stakeholders

Policy:

  1. Daffodil International University (DIU) strives to maintain a fair and respectful environment for living, work and study. DIU follows zero tolerance to any indecent activity, discrimination (religion, gender including transgender (Hijra in Bengali), ethnicity, age, designation, castes etc.) any kind of harassment (sexually assault against women), violence in the university campuses at any level.
  2. This policy applies to all students, faculty members and administrative employees of Daffodil International University (including transgender people (Hijra) in campus) to safeguard their interest against any kind of discrimination, violence and harassment.
  3. No one is allowed to make any discrimination from educational or employment disadvantage and harassment with anyone including person(s) with disability (any kind of indecent behavior, violence, attitude, treatment, indication, mental harassment, ragging, bullying, fraud, deception, theft, sexual assault which affects the normal movement, education, discussion & activities, receiving university services etc.) inside the campus
  4. If any student violates the rules of the university, preventive measures will be taken against the offenders(s) to maintain peace and academic environment of the university.
  5. If anyone faces any discrimination and harassment in any form as mentioned above or beyond, s/he will have to formally make a written complaint to the Complaint Committee of DIU. The list of designated member(s) of the complaint committee of DIU for different campuses is given below:
    Name and Designation
    1. Dr. Sharifa Sultana
      Chairperson
      Email: sharifa@daffodilvarsity.edu.bd
      Cell: 01816866925
    2. Professor Dr. Mehtab Khanam
      External Member
      Department of Psychology, University of Dhaka
    3. Dr. Sanzida Akhter
      External Member
      Associate Professor & Chairperson
      Department of Women and Gender Studies. University of Dhaka
    4. Dr. Liza Sharmin
      Member
      Professor & Dean, FHSS and Head, Department of English
      Email: liza.eng@diu.edu.bd
      Cell: 01726008144
    5. Professor Dr. Kudrat-E-Khuda Babu
      Member
      Head, Department of Law and Associate Dean, FHSS
      Email: adeanfhss@daffodilvarsity.edu.bd, headlaw@daffodilvarsity.edu.bd
      Cell: 01713493063
    6. Dr. Mohammad Hannan Mahmud Khan
      Member
      Assistant Professor and Head, Department of Civil Engineering
      Email: headce@daffodilvarsity.edu.bd, drhannan.ce@diu.edu.bd
      Cell: 01847334748
    7. Dr. Khadiza Rahman Tanchi
      Member
      Associate Professor, Department of Business Administration
      E-mail: khadiza@daffodilvarsity.edu.bd
      Cell: 01738773134, 01847334907
    8. Ms. Asma Alam
      Member
      Assistant Professor, Department of English and Provost, Rawshan Ara Scholar’s Garden
      Email: asma@diu.edu.bd
      Cell: 01711909727
    9. Ms. Nasima Akter Mukta
      Member
      Assistant Professor, Department of Nutrition and Food Engineering
      Email: nasima.nfe@diu.edu.bd
      Cell: 01711184077
    10. Ms. Naznin Sultana
      Member
      Associate Professor, Department of Computer Science Engineering
      Email: naznin.cse@diu.edu.bd
      Cell: 01911540341
    11. Mst. Murshida Khatun
      Member
      Assistant Professor, Department of Textile Engineering
      Email: murshida@daffodilvarsity.edu.bd
      Cell: 01723262662
    12. Ms. Afsana Begum
      Member
      Assistant Professor & Coordinator M. Sc. Program, Department of Software Engineering
      Email: afsana.swe@diu.edu.bd
      Cell: 01717545414
    13. Ms. Kamrun Nahar Aziz
      Member Secretary
      Deputy Registrar
      Email: registraroffice@daffodilvarsity.edu.bd
      Cell: 01713493100
    14. Ms. Farhana Rahman
      Member
      Assistant Director
      Email: frahman@daffodilvarsity.edu.bd
      Cell: 01712058543
    15. Ms. Shahela Perven Munni
      Member
      Assistant Registrar
      hroffice2@daffodilvarsity.edu.bd
      Cell:+8801713493024
    16. Ms. Fahmi Hasan
      Member
      Senior Administrative Officer, Students’ Affairs
      Email: dsaoffice2@daffodilvarsity.edu.bd , fahmi@daffodilvarsity.edu.bd
      Cell: 01811458844
    17. Ms. Bilkis Khanam
      Member
      Psychologist
      Email: psychologist@daffodilvarsity.edu.bd
      Cell: 01847140065
    18. Ms. Sharmina Hoque
      Member
      Senior Coordination Officer, Department of JMC
      Email: jmcoffice@daffodilvarsity.edu.bd
      Cell: 01847334775
  6. The complaint committee, upon receiving the complaint, will make preliminary scrutiny and if the incidence seems fact to them, they will submit the complaint along with their primary comments to the Disciplinary committee of the University for Detail Investigation and solution to the complaint.
  7. The Disciplinary Committee, upon receiving the complaint from the Complaint committee, will investigate the issue with due diligence maintaining full care, confidentiality and in a true and fair manner so that justice can be ensured.
  8. The Disciplinary committee, after a true and fair investigation and depending on the degree of offence, will submit a report along with their recommendation of taking a measure against the rule violator(s) to DIU Management Committee for final decision. Punishment may be warnings, expulsion for one or more semester or expelled for good from the university depending on the gravity of the offence. Guardians will be involved in this process. The degree of measures to be taken in relation to the degree of offences are given below:

Type

Description of rules violations

Measures Against

Students

Staff

Gender

Harassment/ Eve Teasing

Sexual harassment or Eve Teasing or transgender (Hijra) harassment is defined as inappropriate, unwanted and unwelcome conduct or behavior of a sexual nature perceived as harassment by the receiver, which has an adverse effect on the dignity of women and men both inside and in certain circumstances outside the University. These cases will be overlooked by the Gender Harassment committee.

  • May be suspended for one or more semester.
  • May be expelled from the university permanently.
  • May be issued Warning Letter
  • May be financially penalized ranging from 10 days salary to one month salary
  • May be permanently terminated from the job

Discrimination/Harassment for Physical Disability

Discrimination/Harassment for Physical Disability is defined as any kind of indecent behavior, violence, attitude, treatment, indication, mental harassment, sexual assault which affects the normal movement, education, discussion & activities, receiving university services (including disability services) etc.

  • May be issued Warning Letter
  • May be suspended for one or more semester.
  • May be expelled from the university
  • May be issued Warning Letter
  • May be financially penalized ranging from 10 days salary to one month salary
  • May be permanently terminated from the job

Ragging and

Bullying

Ragging/Bullying can include: intimidation, humiliation, ridicule or offence; physical threats; exercise of power over another through negative behavior; insulting, abusing, disparaging or intimidating behavior or words'

  • May be issued Warning Letter
  • May be suspended for one or more semester.
  • May be expelled from the university
  • May be issued Warning Letter
  • May be financially penalized ranging from 10 days salary to one month salary
  • May be permanently terminated from the job

Intolerance/

Racism

All members of the University are expected to be tolerant and respectful towards others irrespective of race, religion, class, gender creed or status in the University or with the community at large. Any attitude or conduct of an individual or group of individuals failing to be so respectful and tolerant and disrespect to others is an act of intolerance.

  • May be issued Warning Letter
  • May be suspended for one or more semester.
  • May be issued Warning Letter
  • May be financially penalized ranging from 10 days salary to one month salary
  • May be permanently terminated from the job

Fraud/

Deception/Theft

Providing false information in order to derive benefit by forging of documents, records, etc. is an act of fraud. Fraud includes, but not limited to: knowingly reporting a false emergency; misuse or falsification of university or related documents by actions such as forgery, alteration, or improper transfer; submission of information known by the submitter to be false to a university official. Theft is defined as stealing any resources/devices/instruments which are not owned by him/her or s/he is not allowed to use those resources.

  • May be issued Warning Letter
  • May be suspended for one or more semester.
  • May be expelled from the university
  • May be issued Warning Letter
  • May be financially penalized ranging from 10 days salary to one month salary
  • May be permanently terminated from the job

Unauthorized

Recording

Recording, storage, sharing, distribution of images, videos or sound by any means without consent is unauthorized recording and is strictly prohibited in the University.

  • May be issued Warning Letter
  • May be suspended for one or more semester.
  • May be issued Warning Letter
  • May be financially penalized ranging from 10 days salary to one month salary
  • May be permanently terminated from the job

Cyber-Crime

Misbehavior and crimes committed through email, blogs, social networking sites, DIU network or DIU Web Portal, or mobile phones such as: fraud, cheating, identity theft, harassment, pornography, subversive activities, indecent behavior, software and media piracy, web-site vandalism, release of viruses or worms, spam, advertising, spying, hacking and cyber- bullying.

  • May be issued Warning Letter
  • May be suspended for one or more semester.
  • May be expelled from the university
  • May be issued Warning Letter
  • May be financially penalized ranging from 10 days salary to one month salary
  • May be permanently terminated from the job
  1. The respective committee will make a case based report as well as a yearly report and submit the reports to the Vice Chancellor of the university. The office of the Registrar will take necessary measures as directed by the Vice Chancellor.

The policy will be widely circulated among all stakeholders of by the Public Relations Section of Daffodil International University.