When the Democratic Party came into power in early 2021 after the last US elections, feminists and human rights activists all around the world followed the countdown till the very last minutes, anticipating what changes could occur next. Not surprisingly, very early on in his role as President, Biden rescinded the "Global Gag Rule" – a devastating anti-abortion policy that undermined the health and rights of women around the world. The rule had denied funding for foreign organisations and NGOS/INGOs providing abortion information or services. It also meant that development organisations using funding from USAID would no longer be able to carry out abortion-related work, even with funding from other donors, if they wanted to continue receiving funding from the US. The withdrawal of the Global Gag Rule was a light of hope for civil society organisations around the world.

In 2021 alone, the United States provided over USD 96 million to support the Covid response in Bangladesh. While the US has helped fund "public health" in Bangladesh for the last five decades, abortion rights have not fallen under this. And now the overturning of Roe v Wade has taken us backwards, not just in the US but around the world, and curtailed the progress that had been made on women's rights and abortion access globally.

You might think the overturning of Roe v Wade has not made much difference in the context of Bangladesh, but a deep dive into the matter tells us differently. At a recent round-table, Marcia Soumokil, the Indonesia country director at Ipas, an international NGO that works to increase access to safe abortions and contraception, said, "The overturning of Roe v Wade could affect broader legislation across the world as well. When access to abortion is severely restricted in the US, it will send signals to the rest of the world governments, in Indonesia and other countries, that abortion rights are not part of human rights."

"Conservative factions in society and government will interpret this change as a declaration that government does not oblige to protect abortion rights," she added. And so, in the current situation, not only will funding opportunities for abortion rights from the US become a diminishing possibility, stigma and barriers to safe abortion access will also be aggravated worldwide.

Under Bangladesh's penal code of 1860, induced abortion is illegal except to save a woman' life. Menstrual regulation (MR), however, has been part of Bangladesh's national family planning program since 1979. Despite the availability of MR services, many women resort to underground (and unsafe) abortions because of stigma and lack of availability of information/resources. According to the Center for Health and Population Research at ICDDR,B, the incidence of abortion was 35 times higher for unmarried women in Bangladesh than for married adolescents. Additionally, there is a huge data gap, especially with regard to younger women getting abortions, so how big a problem access to safe abortion is remains largely underrepresented.

In 2020, a high court ruling asked why the abortion related sections in the Penal Code of Bangladesh should not be declared void as it is contradictory with the fundamental rights guaranteed in Bangladesh's Constitution. At present, if rape victims become pregnant, they are unable to abort the unwanted foetus, and since 2020, things have not moved in this regard.

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Is violence against women only a women’s issue?

Although we tend to focus on the positives, like our achievements in bringing down fertility rates and maternal mortality, the fact remains that due to a number of circumstances, women will get abortions. And unsafe routes to abortion results in several complex problems, including endangering the life of both the woman and the child, suicide, and negative impacts on mental health.

Needless to say, marginalised groups such as young women, rural women, women with disabilities and queer people are doubly and triply affected by such issues. To say that Roe v Wade does not affect us is simply untrue. Asking "if we have the option of MR, why do we need abortion rights?" may help us escape from reality for a while, but it will not help strengthen the fight for reproductive health and justice in the long run. We must fight head on – socially, legally and individually to get past the stigma and oppression that limit women's bodily autonomy, agency and rights, and we must hold decision-makers accountable. As feminists and activists, we should bring back the movement of "My body, my rights," and use data-driven advocacy to do so.

Syeda Samara Mortada is a feminist activist, working as a Coordinator in Bonhishkha, an organisation working to remove gender-based stereotypes.

Different politicians and analysts said Jamaat should apologise to the nation as advised by Abdur Razzaq who resigned from the party yesterday.

Welcoming Razzaq's resignation from Jamaat in protest of its reluctance to offer apology for its role in 1971, they also said the party should shun religion-based politics and amend its charter that says the party aims to establish the rule of Islam.

 “I think it's a positive move from Razzaq. He felt repentance for the party's anti-liberation role in 1971,” BNP standing committee member Lt Gen (retd) Mahbubur Rahman told The Daily Star. 

“If Jamaat formally apologise as a party, the people may forgive it,” he said, adding that the party's survival depended on the issue.

Besides, such a move would make it easier for the BNP to alley with Jamaat, he hoped.

Besides the issue of apologies, Razzaq, who was Jamaat's assistant secretary general, mentioned in his resignation letter that Jamaat's failure to reform its ideologies in light of the 21st century was another reason behind his decision.

The letter was addressed to the party's Ameer Maqbul Ahmad.

Several BNP leaders said they have been closely watching the situation and they would “wait and see” what position Jamaat takes.

Jamaat leaders had not informed them anything about the recent dissident voices in the party, they said.

A standing committee member of the BNP wishing not to be named said it was a good sign that some Jamaat leaders had started to realise that they must apologise.

“It is a logical step. But it took 47 years,” he said.

Workers Party President Rashed Khan Menon, also a leader in the Awami League-led 14-party alliance, said he welcomed Razzaq's decision.

“Jamaat has the right to do politics. But the party should not have that right until and unless it formally apologises,” said the chief of parliamentary standing committee on social welfare.

However, Communist Party Bangladesh President Mujahidul Islam Selim said an apology would not suffice. The party must shun politics in the name of religion and amend its charter.

“Jamaat's charter contradicts the spirit of Liberation War and the country's constitution,” he added.

M Hafizuddin Khan, former adviser to a caretaker government, said he had been urging Jamaat to apologise for a long time.

“Besides, the controversial Jamaat leaders involved in crimes against humanity should be removed from the party,” he said. 

He also urged Jamaat to amend its charter. 

Badiul Alam Majumder, secretary of Shushashoner Jonno Nagorik, echoed Hafizuddin.

Law Minister Anisul Huq yesterday told parliament that the government will settle the issue of trying Jamaat-e-Islami as a political party for its involvement in crimes against humanity, through a legal process.

In reply to a query from Awami League MP Waresat Hossain Belal, the minister also informed the House that the law ministry will take initiative again to send the amendment to International Crimes Tribunal law to the cabinet division, in line with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's direction so that it can be placed before the cabinet meeting.

In a scripted answer, Anisul said the law ministry had earlier sent the amendment to the ICT law to the cabinet division aimed at trying Jamaat-e-Islami as a political party for its involvement in crimes against humanity in the country's Liberation War in 1971.

In reply to another question, the law minister said his ministry has taken various measures including appointing 571 assistant judges in lower court since 2014, for quick disposal of the huge number of cases in different courts across the country.

In reply to a query of AL lawmaker Nizam Uddin Hazari, the minister said it is under the government's active consideration to set up Attorney Service in a bid to conduct cases by public persecutors.

3.36 LAKH POSTS VACANT AT GOVT OFFICES

State Minister for Public Administration Farhad Hossain yesterday informed parliament that the government has taken various steps to fulfill vacant posts of the government offices, as 3,36,746 posts are now vacant at public offices of the government.

 “Bangladesh Public Service Commission has recommended for 1,289 posts from different cadres through 37th BCS (Bangladesh Civil Service), aimed at appointing vacant posts,” he said this replying to a question made by AL MP M Shamsul Haque Tuku of Pabna-5.

The state minister said the government has requested agencies concerned to verify pre-service curriculum of the recommended candidates, adding, “After getting verification report of the pre-service information, freedom fighter certificate and health check-up, they will be given final appointment.”

In addition to this, the appointment process of 8,719 vacant posts of different ministries are now underway through the 38th , 39th and 40th BCS, he said.