In recent months, Bangladesh has found itself at a critical juncture in the fight for gender equality. What once seemed like forward momentum is now meeting increasing resistance from conservative and religious factions. At the center of this unfolding crisis is Dr. Zobaida Nasreen, a prominent academic from Dhaka University and an influential voice in last year’s mass protest movement. Speaking from Germany, where she has temporarily relocated due to threats, Dr. Nasreen warns of a rapidly deteriorating environment for women’s rights in Bangladesh—one where reformers are being harassed, defamed, and silenced.
A Reform Commission Under Siege
The controversy began with the appointment of a Women’s Affairs Reform Commission by the administration of Prime Minister Muhammad Yunus. The commission was formed to advance legal and social reforms to uplift the status of women across the country. Its proposals included crucial changes to inheritance laws, recognition and protection for sex workers, and broader gender equity measures.
However, rather than sparking constructive debate, the commission’s work triggered an intense backlash from hardline Islamist groups such as Hefazat-e-Islam and Jamaat-e-Islami. These factions swiftly condemned the proposals as a threat to religious values and social order. Rallies were organized, and members of the commission—many of them women—became targets of a coordinated campaign of threats and defamation.
Dr. Nasreen revealed that some commission members have been publicly labelled as “sex workers,” an attempt to discredit their work and intimidate them into silence. “The recommendations put forward by the women’s commission, intended to improve the status of women in the country, have been outright rejected by fundamentalist groups,” she stated. “Worse, those who served on the committee are now being openly threatened and defamed.”
Silence from the Government
Perhaps most concerning is the lack of a strong response from the government. Despite initiating the commission, the National Citizen Party (NCP)-led administration has remained largely silent in the face of mounting pressure from conservative groups.
“The government appears to be influenced by these groups,” Dr. Nasreen warned. “This silence is not just disappointing—it is dangerous.” Without vocal and visible support from the state, reformers are left vulnerable, and a precedent is being set: that any effort to improve women’s rights can be undone by ideological intimidation.
From Mobilization to Marginalization
The current climate stands in stark contrast to the powerful women’s mobilization witnessed during the nationwide protests of 2024. At that time, women played a central role in demanding political accountability and social reform. They took to the streets in record numbers, breaking social norms and claiming public space as never before.
“During last year’s protests, women participated in large numbers—even in the middle of the night, wearing whatever they had on,” Dr. Nasreen recalled. “At that time, no one objected. But now, those same women are being targeted with abusive language and harassment.”
This reversal is not just a rollback of rights—it is an attempt to erase women’s visibility from the political and public sphere altogether.
Civil Society Responds
Bangladesh’s civil society, however, has not remained silent. Over 60 organizations—including leading women’s groups such as Bangladesh Mahila Parishad—have issued public statements condemning the attacks on the commission and its members.
These groups have urged the government to protect those advocating for reform and reaffirm its commitment to gender equality. They argue that the threats are not isolated incidents, but part of a broader campaign to dismantle the fragile gains made over the past decade.
A Crossroads for the Nation
The implications of this backlash are far-reaching. If allowed to continue unchecked, it risks institutionalizing fear among reformers and legitimizing the influence of religious extremists in policymaking. The abandonment of the women’s reform commission under pressure would not only halt progress—it would signal to future generations that justice can be silenced by force.
The government must choose whether it will protect those working to build a more equitable Bangladesh or capitulate to those who seek to maintain the status quo through fear and intimidation.
Dr. Nasreen’s warning is a call to action. Her voice—and the voices of the women targeted for their activism—should not be left echoing in isolation. As Bangladesh grapples with this moment of reckoning, one thing is clear: the fight for gender justice is far from over, and the cost of inaction will be borne not just by today’s women, but by the generations that follow.
