Nadia Sharmeen

Nadia Sharmeen (Bengali: নাদিয়া শারমীন) is a crime reporter from Bangladesh, who in 2015 won the US State Department's International Women of Courage Award.[1]

Nadia Sharmeen
Sharmeen in March 2015
OccupationJournalist
EmployerEkattor TV
AwardsInternational Women of Courage Award, 2015

Biography
Sharmeen receiving the IWOC Award in 2015

From the time she was in Middle School, Nadia Sharmeen wanted to become a journalist. In 2009, she joined the Bangladesh press corps and became a crime reporter.[1]

In 2013 Sharmeen was covering an Islamic rally for her employer Ekushey Television, when she was attacked by the Hefazat-e-Islam activists. The rally was being held to demand restrictions on the open association of males and females in the same space, punishment of atheists, wearing of scarves by women, and other religiously based precepts.[2] The Hefazat activist's 13-point demand list specifically called for the government to abandon the current Women's Policy, which had been designed to create gender equality.[3] While there were no reported incidents of violence between activists and police, journalists were attacked and tortured in many places in Dhaka and Chittagong,[4] as were women garbage collectors.[2][5] Sharmeen's attackers targeted women who were not wearing the hijab. Nadia believed she was attacked, "only because I am a woman".[6]

The 50-60 men who attacked chased her and pelted her with water bottles and pieces of brick. When she fell, others punched and beat her. Several male reporters and cameramen tried to save her and themselves became targets of the mob.[4]

Sharmeen was rushed to Dhaka Medical College and Hospital for emergency treatment and once stabilized was moved to Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University Hospital. Within days, a report was filed with the thana,[7] but no arrests had occurred as late as July, 2013 when Human Rights and Peace for Bangladesh petitioned the high court for relief for Sharmeen. The court called for arrest of the perpetrators and ruled that the government was responsible for covering her medical care, whether inside the country or abroad[8] Nearly two years after the event, no identifications nor arrests have occurred.[1]

After her recovery, Sharmeen returned to work as a crime reporter[1] for a different news agency. She now works at Ekattor TV.[9] Her attack has strengthened the resolve of women's rights activists, who immediately following the assault staged several rallies, with the support of various press clubs, the Bangladesh National Women Lawyers Association (BNWLA) and other organizations.[10] In 2014, her story was used as part of the global campaign One Billion Rising for Justice by activists to urge the Bangladeshi government to implement CEDAW protections.[11]

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References
  1. "Biographies of 2015 Award Winners". U.S. State Department. March 2015. Retrieved 11 March 2015.
  2. Bashar, Reazul; Chowdhury, Moinul Hoque; Mujtaba, Golam; Siddiqui, Faizul (6 April 2013). "Women denied entry to Hifazat rally area". bdnews24.com. Retrieved 12 March 2015.
  3. "ASK strongly protests and criticizes the attack on female journalist by Hefazat-a-Islam". Ain O Salish Kendra (ASK). Ain O Salish Kendra (ASK). 9 April 2013. Retrieved 13 March 2015.
  4. Bidhan, Probir (2 August 2013). "Journalist Nadia Sharmeen, Shahbagh and Islamisation". GroundReport. Retrieved 12 March 2015.
  5. Nasreen, Taslima (7 April 2013). "Islamists physically attacked and abused women, snatched their phones, looted their money". No Country For Women. Retrieved 12 March 2015.
  6. "Bangladesh: Action needed now to stop gender-based violence against journalists". Article19. 10 April 2013. Retrieved 12 March 2015.
  7. "60 sued for attacking ETV journo Nadia". Dhaka Tribune. 12 April 2013. Retrieved 13 March 2015.
  8. "HC orders arrest of Nadia Sharmin's attackers". Dhaka Tribune. 29 July 2013. Retrieved 13 March 2015.
  9. "Bangladeshi journalist receives International Woman of Courage Award". nextnewsbd.com. 5 March 2015. Archived from the original on 13 March 2015. Retrieved 13 March 2015.
  10. "Assault on female journo incites outrage in B'desh". The Daily Star. 8 April 2013. Retrieved 13 March 2015.
  11. "End to violence against women demanded". JournalBD. 15 February 2014. Archived from the original on 14 March 2014. Retrieved 13 March 2015.
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