Bangladesh Embassy counsellor in KSA fired for sexual harassment

A counsellor of Bangladesh Embassy in Riyadh of Saudi Arabia has been sacked on charge of sexually harassing a female domestic help who took shelter at safe home in the embassy.

According to a gazette notification issued by the Public Administration Ministry on Thursday, counsellor Md Mehedi Hasan, also a deputy secretary, was fired from his service as the allegations brought against him were found to be true.

The allegations of sexual harassment surfaced against him when he was performing duty as the counsellor at the embassy.

Later, he was made OSD to the Public Administration Ministry.

On January 24 in 2021, the deputy secretary was relieved from his post as the allegations of sexual harassment were proved against him.

Later on February 8 of the same year, he was temporarily suspended from the service to take departmental action against him.

Subsequently on March 8, he was served a show cause notice after being implicated in a departmental case for misconduct.

As his reply to the show cause was not satisfactory, an investigating officer was appointed to look into the allegations brought against him on June 20 of the same year.

The investigator submitted a report on December 20 in 2022 saying that the allegations were found to be true.

According to the Public Servants Act (discipline and appeal), a decision to sentence him was taken initially and served a show cause notice for the second time.

Also, he was asked to explain as to why he won’t be sacked from service.

As the deputy secretary failed to reply to the show cause with satisfactory answers for the second time, the decision to sack him was taken finally with the approval from the president, reports UNB.