Activists, rights bodies incensed

The attitude of some lawmakers towards women has become a matter of great concern, said women's rights activists as well as organisations working for women's rights and empowerment yesterday.

The men use shameful excuses sometimes to suppress women, they said, adding that such attitude of the people from responsible positions is not only unacceptable but also unconstitutional.

The comments came in reaction to the latest recommendation of the parliamentary standing committee on Liberation War Ministry regarding finding an "alternative" to female upazila nirbahi officers' (UNO) presence during guard of honour given to freedom fighters after their death.

The committee on Sunday came up with the recommendation in a meeting at the Jatiya Sangshad Bhaban with ruling Awami League lawmaker Shajahan Khan in the chair, where a member suggested that upazilas where the UNO is female, it is necessary to assign the responsibility to a male officer -- assistant commissioner (land), upazila education officer, upazila agricultural officer or any such officer, as an alternative.

According to the member, usually women do not take part in namaz-e-janaza and many in society raise questions about this.

Nijera Kori Coordinator Khushi Kabir expressed her shock at the issue and said namaz-e-janaza and guard of honour are two different things, just like religion and the state are.

"Giving guard of honour is showing last respect of the state to the freedom fighter, which is a very minimal way of respecting their contributions. And UNOs are not present there as an individual man or woman, rather they perform their responsibility there on behalf of the state, as they are the highest-ranking officials at the upazila level," she said.

"Recommending for a male person with the excuse of religious reasons also disrespects freedom fighters, by demanding to hand the duty to a lesser important junior official," she added.

In addition, this also neglects women by treating them as a person having no stature and status, which completely goes against everything that the government has taken as its policy towards gender equality, she further said.

Naripokkho founder member Shireen Huq termed the recommendation a "ridiculous demand", and said, "At a time when we're thinking that women should be included in every sector, a group of people having mysoginystic mindsets are trying to exclude them using various excuses."

"Even if they consider namaz-e-janaza and guard of honour the same, they cannot make such strange demands, because we have seen many women, including myself, take part in janaza and nobody forbade them."

"I have never imagined that lawmakers, who are educated enough, can make such a recommendation in 2021, and I am really ashamed of their statement," she added.

Manusher Jonno Foundation (MJF) executive director Shaheen Anam expressed a similar concern.

She said, "It is a very discriminatory attitude towards a government officer, and we totally reject this."

"We are fighting for equality, which must be guaranteed as per the constitution. After 50 years of independence, there must be no such recommendation that goes against the spirit of the liberation war, constitution, and women's empowerment," she said.

Bangladesh Mahila Parishad (BMP) also in a written statement expressed their anger over the issue.

It said, "There is no such thing as women UNO in Bangladesh."

"Women are appointed as UNO after passing competitive exams. Creating such division and discrimination is totally unconstitutional," said the statement signed by BMP president Dr Fauzia Moslem and general secretary Maleka Banu.

Leading rights body Ain o Salish Kendra (ASK) in a statement also expressed their shock in reaction to the matter, and asked lawmakers to be more gender-sensitive while taking any actions or making any recommendation.

"Such proposal is contradictory to the article 19 (3), 27 and 28 and the government's position on women empowerment. Besides, it is also not consistent with the government's women development policy and SDG-5 (gender equality)," it said.

Workers Party president and lawmaker Rashed Khan Menon yesterday in parliament also lambasted the recommendation made by the committee, and said such recommendation is tantamount to humiliation of women who sacrificed their lives and were subjected to rape during the Liberation War.

"Such humiliation towards the country's women cannot be accepted," he said while participating in the discussion on the proposed budget for the 2021-2022.

On the other hand, Ekattorer Ghatak Dalal Nirmul Committee in a separate statement also expressed grave concern over the issue and said that the consequences of such recommendation will be dire for the government, the society, and the nation as a whole.