A five-member investigation committee has been formed in response to allegations of sexual harassment, mental torture, discriminatory behavior, and abuse of power against Md. Kamrul Hasan, the Head of the Human Resources and Administration Department at Nexus Television, owned by the S Alam Group. The matter was announced through an office order signed by the channel’s Chief Operating Officer (COO) and Head of Programs, Mohammad Mohiuddin, on Tuesday (16 June).
The office order states that a legal notice was sent on behalf of a female employee of the organization through a Supreme Court lawyer, accusing Kamrul Hasan of sexual harassment, mental torture, discriminatory behavior, and attempting to illegally force her to resign. To ensure an impartial and transparent investigation and to maintain a safe working environment, a five-member investigation committee has been formed.
Program Producer Zakia Sultana has been appointed as the Convener of the committee. The other members are Senior Online Video Editor Swapan Bir, Senior Video Editor (In-Charge) Mainul Hossain, Program Producer Fahima Sharmin Dipti, and Jubayer Ahmed, In-Charge of the Finance and Accounts Department, who will serve as Member Secretary.
The office order instructs the committee to determine the true nature of the incident, assign responsibilities, record statements from the complainant, the accused, and other relevant individuals, and collect necessary information and evidence. The committee has been directed to complete the investigation and submit a written report with recommendations within the next 5 working days.
Earlier, on 15 June, Advocate Haider Tanviruzzaman, on behalf of the complainant employee, sent a legal notice to the accused’s permanent and current addresses. The notice mentions that the female employee, who has been working since 2021, has been subjected to continuous harassment since Md. Kamrul Hasan joined in January this year.
The legal notice alleges inappropriate behavior at the workplace, lewd comments referring to various parts of the body, abuse of power, assigning tasks beyond the scope of her position, and attempts to force her to resign by transferring her to another department and demoting her to a lower position. It also mentions removing her from important responsibilities, making baseless allegations, and creating continuous pressure through changes in workplace and duties.
The notice further claims that the complainant is owed a total of Tk 2,02,489 in due salary and other entitlements from January 2025 to May 2026.
The legal notice demands that five specific actions be taken within 30 days. These include: stopping mental harassment and discriminatory behavior as alleged, conducting an impartial investigation into the sexual harassment and abuse of power, reinstating the complainant to her previous position and responsibilities, paying all due entitlements, and ensuring a safe and discrimination-free work environment.
It warns that if appropriate measures are not taken within the stipulated time, further legal action will be pursued under the Bangladesh Labour Act, High Court directives on prevention of sexual harassment at the workplace, the Women and Children Repression Prevention Act, and other applicable laws.
Copies of the legal notice have been sent to the S Alam Group’s DGM (Accounts), Nexus Television’s COO, National Press Club, Online Editors Alliance, Dhaka Reporters Unity, Directorate of Factories and Establishments, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, and other relevant offices.
The investigation committee formed by Nexus Television has been instructed to properly investigate the matter, uncover the true facts, determine accountability, record statements from the complainant, the accused, and relevant witnesses, and address other pertinent issues. It is learned that administrative actions will be taken after receiving the committee’s report.
Meanwhile, sources informed that there were previous allegations of inappropriate behavior by the accused Md. Kamrul Hasan with female employees. He previously worked as Assistant Manager (Administration) at Ibrahim Cardiac Hospital and Research Institute, where he was reportedly dismissed due to allegations of indecent behavior with female colleagues.
Later, through his friend Md. Moniruzzaman, DGM (Accounts) at S Alam Group, he joined as the head of the Human Resources and Administration Department at Nexus Television. Multiple sources claim that administrative instability arose within the organization after his joining. However, due to his strong lobbying in the parent organization, no complaints against him were previously entertained. Relevant sources say that this time, administrative decisions will be taken after the investigation committee submits its report.
Regarding the matter, Advocate Haider Tanviruzzaman said, “After we issued the legal notice, the organization formed an investigation committee, which is a positive step. However, if they fail to properly resolve the allegations within the stipulated time, pay the due entitlements, and ensure a safe work environment, strict legal action will be taken against the concerned individual and the institution. If necessary, we will seek recourse in the appropriate court and relevant authorities.”
