Muslim men supporting a radical Islamist sect in Bangladesh took to the streets of the country’s capital, demanding a ban on women’s rights reforms. Globally, women’s rights are regarded as sensitive. Therefore, a video showing disturbing acts from the protesters did not fail to trigger heavy criticism on social media.
On Saturday, April 3, 2023, over 20,000 men hit the streets of Dhaka, asking the interim government to abolish proposals on women’s rights. The proposals include a ban on polygamy, equal inheritance rights for women, and recognition of sex workers.
Dark Day for Bangladesh Women’s Rights
Some Islamist men who joined the protest decided to take on a creative and disturbing approach. They tied up and hung life-size stuffed dolls in the semblance of women dressed in saris. The video that has gained traction on social media showed how the men tied up one effigy, which they continuously beat with sandals.
At one point, the sari slipped off the doll. One man immediately righted the dress while resuming to hit it with his sandal. Social media users across platforms condemned the act and the premise of the protest as a whole. “Imagine being so insecure about women having their own rights you hang a doll and hit it with sandals,” someone wrote. “They are going off on a doll. I can only imagine if it was an actual human hanging there, what they’d do,” another person shared, dreading the reality of the situation.
Hefazat-e-Islam, the group in charge of the protest, claimed that the Bangladesh government was undermining religious laws. The group accused the interim of labeling inheritance laws as the leading cause of inequality. One of the Islamist group’s heads, Mamunul Haque, stated that the Bangladeshi government hurt “the sentiments of the majority” of the citizens.
In essence, Haque and his fellow members demanded that members of the women’s rights reform group be punished. The group further threatened nationwide protests if the government didn’t comply.
