The Islamists accused the commission of promoting “anti-Islamic” and “Western-inspired” proposals, according to the Dhaka-based Daily Star.
Islamist parties in Bangladesh have strongly warned the army-backed interim government of Muhammad Yunus to immediately disband the “anti-Islamic” Women’s Affairs Reform Commission. Threatening a mass protest, leaders from the Jatiya Olama Mashayekh Aemma Parishad, a coalition of Islamist parties, cautioned that the Yunus-led government would face serious repercussions, with one leader stating they would “not get even five minutes to escape” if the reforms continue, according to the Dhaka-based Bengali newspaper Prothom Alo.
What exactly happend?
The warning’s reference to “won’t get even five minutes” alluded to the 45 minutes Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina had on August 5, 2024, to leave the country as a large crowd marched towards her residence, fueled by anger. It has been reported that Islamists had become involved in the student-led protest, contributing to the widespread violence during the final days of the agitation.
The Islamists accused the commission of promoting “anti-Islamic” and “Western-inspired” proposals, according to the Dhaka-based Daily Star.
“You have to keep in mind that the enemies who are confronting you cannot take advantage of this. Even then, if you want to move forward, you will not get even five minutes (to escape),” Prothom Alo quoted Mufti Syed Rezaul Karim, the Amir of the Islamic Movement Bangladesh, as saying.
This comes after the Yunus government was downplaying attacks on minority groups, including Hindus.
On Wednesday, a seminar held by the Jatiya Olama Mashayekh Aemma Parishad included key leaders from various Islamist parties, such as Islamic Movement Bangladesh, Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami, Bangladesh Khelafat Majlis, and Islamic Unity Alliance, as reported by Prothom Alo.
Mamunul Haque, the Amir of the Khelafat Majlis, intensified the warnings, stating that implementing “even a hair” of the proposals would necessitate the government to do so “over our dead bodies,” claiming a “pre-planned conspiracy” involving the Chief Adviser’s office and foreign agendas.
In addition to demanding the immediate abolishment of the commission, the Islamists also rejected its recommendations, calling for a new commission composed of “pious, educated, and socially conscious women who truly represent the country’s female
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