Bangladeshi women's rights proposals face Islamist backlash

DW (English)

A women's rights commission in Bangladesh has proposed reforms to Bangladesh's interim government, calling for the criminalization of marital rape and equal rights for all women. But the plans have met resistance from Islamic organizations.

Transcript

00:00They are relentless in their demands.

00:03One by one, in emotionally charged speeches,

00:06they are denouncing reforms that Bangladeshi women say

00:10will finally grant them equal rights.

00:13Hifazate Islami, a coalition of Islamic groups,

00:17wants to disband the Women's Affairs Reform Commission

00:20that has proposed, among many reforms,

00:23women's right to inheritance,

00:25an increase in women's parliamentary representation

00:28and protection of sex workers.

00:31But the religious group sees the proposed changes

00:34as targeting Islamic values.

00:37You are mocking Allah's law.

00:41You have not been given that right.

00:44These women's right contradict the Quran and Hadith directly.

00:49Secondly, this is a conspiracy to destroy the long-standing family

00:54and social bonds rooted in Bangladesh's traditions, culture and civilisations.

01:03Women's rights activists say the proposed reforms are in line

01:07with the Bangladesh Constitution's fundamental principles

01:10of democracy and secularism.

01:13And the women are not backing down.

01:16At this protest, they claim the Women's Rights Commission

01:20and its proposed reforms are being unfairly targeted.

01:25We will not hand this country over to fundamentalists.

01:31The people of Bangladesh are religious.

01:35But the so-called religious extremists are playing politics

01:38in the name of religion.

01:42And the main instigating issue of this politics is women.

01:48The government says the opposition to reforms is politically motivated

01:52and the state is open for dialogue.

01:56This human cry was much more political because of the fact that we had,

02:05you know, a regime was thrown out before the interim government took over.

02:11So there are those who turn everything into a political issue

02:17to destabilise the country, to create chaos.

02:20Bangladesh's constitution is secular.

02:23But for decades, Islamists in the Muslim majority country

02:26have tried to influence social and political affairs.

02:30These women say they are determined to not bow down to attacks on their rights.

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