Protests broke out at Dhaka University (DU) and Jagannath University (JnU) today following accusations that Shafiqur Rahman, the leader of Jamaat-e-Islami, made disrespectful comments about women in the workforce on his social media account.
At around midday, members of Chhatra Dal from various units gathered at Madhur Canteen on the DU campus and marched through different landmarks before concluding with a rally at Aparajeyo Bangla. During the rally, speakers demanded a public apology from Shafiqur for his remarks about women, emphasizing the importance of respecting women’s roles in society.
Chants echoed through the crowd, with slogans like “Women are not prostitutes, Shafiq must apologise,” underscoring the demand for accountability and respect for women. JCD Central Joint Secretary Sayera Chandra Chakma criticized Jamaat’s perspective on women, highlighting past incidents of violence against women and emphasizing the need for a sincere apology.
JCD Central Joint General Secretary Mansura Alam pointed out the contradiction in Jamaat’s treatment of women, considering their significant presence in the voting population. The JCD DU unit General Secretary Nahiduzzaman Shipon condemned Jamaat’s continued disrespect towards women despite their contributions to the country’s progress.
The JCD leadership reiterated the call for accountability, demanding an apology from the Jamaat leader and warning of further actions if no apology is issued.
In a separate demonstration at Jagannath University, students gathered to denounce the same offensive post from the Jamaat leader. Female activists from the JCD unit at JnU also voiced their condemnation of the disrespectful remarks made about women in the workforce.
The president of Nawab Faizunnesa Chowdhurani hall unit JCD, Farzana Akter Tumpa, expressed strong disapproval of the derogatory comments made by the Jamaat leader. Khadijatul Kubra, a joint convener of the JnU unit JCD, emphasized that equating working women with prostitution is unacceptable and insulting to women. The sentiment was echoed by other activists, highlighting the need for respect and dignity towards women in society.
