Staff Correspondent
Women leaders and right activists have blasted
and condemned the reported agreement signed by
Awami League with Khelafat Majlish on legalising
fatwa if voted to power.
They said such a move is a suicidal one and a
big assault on the ongoing movement against
religious fundamentalism; and also a blow to the
fight for a democratic and liberal humanitarian
society.
They said such a decision was not expected
from Awami League, which preaches spirits of
liberation war, democracy and secularism.
’As an election strategy, the decision is a
suicidal one,’ said Ayesha Khanon, general
secretary of Bangladesh Mohila Parishad. ’I am
seriously concerned and disappointed by such an
agreement.’
She said the decision came when they are
fighting against fundamentalism to establish of a
secular state having no disparity between men and
women.
Terming the move a very unfortunate one for
the countrymen, she said it will leave a dreadful
impact on the society, while rural women,
especially those who are poor, are subject to
frequent torture and harassment through issuance
of fatwa, a religious decree, by Islamic clerics.
Since Awami League itself was very vocal
against fundamentalism, Ayesha said they would
soon take the matter to party chief Sheikh Hasina
and ask her to scrap the settlement with the
Islamist group.
Former adviser to the caretaker government and
executive director of Ain O Salish Kendra,
Sultana Kamal strongly condemned the accord and
vowed to resist it at any cost. ’It’s not
acceptable.’
’Those who claim themselves the carriers of
the liberation war spirit and secular belief now
seem bowing to fundamentalists by signing the
agreement,’ she said, wondering, ’What will
happen to the country’s women if fatwa is
legalised?’
She apprehended that the country would turn
into a fundamental state if such agreement was
implemented.
She believed that the move was aimed to grab
political benefits by the party. ’We are stunned
by the news,’ said Shirin Akhter, joint general
secretary of Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal, adding AL
did not discus the issue with others in the
14-party alliance. ’It is contrary to our
(alliance’s) ongoing movement for a secular and
progressive country.’
Also president of Karmajibi Nari that
campaigns for protecting women workers’ rights,
Shirin said the move was very alarming for the
movement for establishing and protecting rights
of women in the society. ’Such an agreement can’t
be implemented in the country, no matter which
government or party goes to power,’ she replied
when asked about her stand against the move. ’We
will soon discuss the issue in a meeting of our
(14-party) alliance.
Seriously condemning the agreement, Hazera
Khatun, a central leader of Workers Party of
Bangladesh, said AL took a terrible step by doing
that. ’All the bad things are accommodated in the
five-point pact, which is enough to take the
whole women society to the dark.’
She said there is no place for fatwa in a
democratic and modern society. ’Fatwa is the main
weapon of harassing women and snatching their
rights,’ she lamented.
’AL has formed a mega alliance and it can do
it, but it can never sign such a reactionary
agreement with an Islamist party.’