Students should respond to bullying with a strong and bold body language, attitude and confidence, said Professor Mehtab Khanam, adding, “The remote of our mind is in our hands, only we can control our thoughts.”
The adviser of BRAC University’s (BRACU) Counseling Unit was conducting an interactive session with students on dealing with cyber bullying on.
The session was a part of programs organised on the second day of an ongoing “Anti-Bullying Awareness Campaign Week” themed “Respecting Each Other for Who We Are” at BRACU’s Mohakhali campus auditorium.
Organised by the BRAC Institute of Languages (BIL), Office of Co-curricular Activities (OCA) and Counseling Unit, the campaign aims to create awareness and develop strategies to prevent bullying effectively.
Joining Professor Khanam, Shaoli Dasgupta, a BRACU alumnus and a legal and compliance lawyer of BRAC, explained that cyber bullying was a crime and the most dangerous form of bullying which was capable of leading to severe trauma.
She advised countering it with positive energy and seeking legal assistance. Students also sought solutions narrating personal experiences of being bullied.
Actress Rafiath Rashid Mithila, another BRACU alumnus, shared her personal experience of being bullied and thoughts as a celebrity guest speaker.
A video presentation on stories of people who were bullied was screened. Students of BRAC University Cultural Club presented four inspirational songs.
Another video was screened at the start of the program including messages of renowned academics and personalities on creating awareness and stopping bullying.
They include Sir Fazle Hasan Abed KCMG, founder and chairperson of BRAC and chairperson of the BRACU Board of Trustees; Professor Syed Saad Andaleeb, PhD, vice chancellor of BRACU; Rokia Afzal Rahman, member of the BRAC Board of Trustees; and Sara Zaker, theatre and television actress, a business entrepreneur and social activist.
One highlight of the program was a message board where students shared their opinion regarding bullying. The program ended with an oath to join hands to stop bullying.
OCA Director Dilara Afroz Khan moderated the program while Lady Syeda Sarwat Abed, founder and director of the BIL, and Registrar Lt Col Md Foyzul Islam (Retd) were present.