Bangladesh Prepares for First Post-Uprising Election Amid Concerns Over Women's Rights
Key Facts
- The election is scheduled for Thursday, the first free vote in 17 years.
- Sheikh Hasina was toppled in August 2024 following an uprising in which more than 1,000 people died.
- Jamaat-e-Islami is fielding zero female candidates in the upcoming election.
- The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) is fielding fewer than 5% female candidates.
- Jamaat-e-Islami leader Shafiqur Rahman stated that women cannot lead the party.
- A proposed Jamaat-e-Islami policy would reduce women's working hours from eight to five.
- The National Citizen Party (NCP) has entered an alliance with Jamaat-e-Islami.
- Sheikh Hasina is currently in exile in India and faces a death sentence in Bangladesh.
Bangladesh is scheduled to hold its first free elections in 17 years this Thursday, following the August 2024 student-led uprising that toppled the government of Sheikh Hasina. The vote marks a significant shift in the national landscape as the previously banned Islamist party, Jamaat-e-Islami, seeks a historic share of the vote. While the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) is expected to win, analysts suggest Jamaat-e-Islami will emerge as a significant political force, either in opposition or as part of a governing alliance.
The resurgence of Islamist politics has prompted concerns among activists regarding the future of secularism and women's rights. Jamaat-e-Islami is fielding zero female candidates, and its leader, Shafiqur Rahman, has stated that a woman could never lead the party as it is "un-Islamic." The party has also proposed reducing women's working hours from eight to five, a move critics argue is intended to restrict women to the domestic sphere. Currently, women comprise 44% of the Bangladeshi workforce, the highest proportion in South Asia.
Political shifts have also caused internal friction within the reform movement. The National Citizen Party (NCP), formed by the student leaders who led the 2024 revolution, recently joined an alliance with Jamaat-e-Islami. This decision led to the resignation of several founding members who described the move as a "betrayal" of the uprising's progressive goals. Representation for women remains low across the board, with the BNP fielding women in less than 5% of its candidacies.
Historical Context
Bangladesh has experienced a fluctuating relationship with secularism since gaining independence from Pakistan in 1971. While religion-based politics were initially outlawed, they became dominant during military rule after 1975 before secularism was restored to the constitution in 2011. The current rise of Islamist parties is attributed by analysts to a rejection of the political "old guard" and the perceived corruption of the dynastic parties that have controlled the country for decades.
Perspective Analysis
Sources: The Guardian · South China Morning Post · New York Times · Al Jazeera
Always verify important information with primary sources.