Bangladeshi women’s rights activists rally against anti-feminist wave

DHAKA: Thousands of Bangladeshi women’s rights activists on Friday gathered on Manik Mia Avenue near the Parliament building in Dhaka to demand equal rights and dignity for women.

The rally, held under the slogan “A march of solidarity at the call of women” (narira dake maitri yatra) aimed to protest against attempts to deprive women of their rights in the name of religion.

The protest follows a wave of anti-feminist sentiment in Bangladesh, sparked by controversy over the interim government’s Women’s Reform Commission recommendation to recognize sex workers as laborers.

Hardline Islamist groups opposed the move, making derogatory comments about women.

The activists condemned recent statements that demeaned women and demanded equal rights and dignity. They expressed solidarity with the protest, emphasizing the importance of protecting women’s rights.

Bangladesh Former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was ousted from power in a student-led uprising in August last year. Hasina fled to India and an interim government led-by Nobel Laureate Muhammad Yunus was formed.

“The interim government had formed a Women’s Reform commission. When the commission recommended recognizing sex workers as labour, hardlines Islamist political parties and groups opposed it. The made derogatory comments about women,” a transgender activist told ANI.

“I have come to express solidarity with this protest for everyone’s rights,” the activist added. Women danced and sang to protest discrimination against women.

After the iron fist rule of Sheikh Hasina came to an end, women’s reforms took a back seat.

Bangladeshi writer and activist Taslima Nasreen strongly criticized the interim government, highlighting atrocities against women and the rise of Islamic terrorism. She called for quick elections and questioned the legitimacy of the current government.

“It’s not just violence against women in the country. Theft, robbery, terror, rape, murder is all going on. That means law enforcement is not doing anything. So I think elections should be held quickly and the political party that comes into power is in power. It’s good that they run the country. Because this government is illegal, and this government has no right to run the country,” she said.

Voicing against religious extremism and emphasising values of secularism, women’s rights and freedom of speech, she has been at the receiving end of extremist elements in Bangladesh.

Nasreen alleged that Islamic terrorism is targeting not just women but also those associated with the ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s party, Awami League.

Nasreen said that apart from women, the “Islamic terrorism” is torturing everyone belonging to Bangladesh’s ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s party, Awami League.

“Not just women, but the entire country is being attacked- like the Islamic attack. So it’s not just women. [It’s] kind of Islamic terrorism. So there’s not just on the women, but also those who were in Hasina’s party,” she told ANI. (ANI)