Demand to dissolve the Women's Affairs Reform Commission in Bangladesh

Accusation that the commission’s recommendations are anti-Islamic
‘Hefazat-e-Islam’ holds a demonstration in Dhaka

Dhaka (Bangladesh) – Since Sheikh Hasina was ousted from power, extremism and religious frenzy have been on the rise in Bangladesh. The radical Islamic group ‘Hefazat-e-Islam’ recently held a massive demonstration with thousands of supporters at Suhrawardy Udyan in the capital city of Dhaka. The main purpose of this rally was to challenge the interim Government’s Women’s Affairs Reform Commission, led by Muhammad Yunus, as they believe the commission’s recommendations are against Islam. ‘Hefazat-e-Islam’ is a powerful pressure group comprising teachers and students from madrasas.

During the rally, the extremists targeted the commission’s recommendations that grant Muslim women equal rights in property and other matters. Senior Hefazat-e-Islam leader Maulana Mahfuzul Haque presented a list of 12 demands. The first demand was the dissolution of the current Women’s Reform Commission and the establishment of a new commission that includes Islamic scholars and female representatives. Another leader, Mamunul Haque, demanded that commission members be punished, arguing that men and women can never be equal. Madrasa teacher Mohammad Shihab Uddin stated that the Quran lays out specific rules for the lives of men and women, and nothing should be considered beyond that.