Agency

Bangladesh Naree Mukti Sangsad (Bangladesh Women's Liberation Council) asked the government Thursday not to delay in implementing the proposed national women's policy.

BNMS convenor Hazera Sultana said: "The fundamentalist and communal fanatics in the country are whipping up tension and agitation and opposing the women's policy with a view to diverting the nation's attention from the issue of war crimes trials."

"We watched with abhorrence as the government yielded to the fanatics' hollow intimidations, by constituting a committee of Islamic scholars led by the Khatib of Baitul Mukarram," she said, speaking of the Ulama Review Committee that submitted a 15-point recommendation to the government.

Five demands for establishing women's rights through reform of existing laws were presented at the press conference: adhering to the constitution, immediately implementing the women's policy, making public the government's commitment to equal rights for men and women in all spheres of life, rejecting the review committee's recommendations and banning political activity at religious institutions.

"The policy professed to remove all kinds of disparities affecting women's participation in the socio-political, economic and cultural fields. Who else but the hypocritical religious fanatics upholding outdated medieval dogmas should oppose this?" Hazera said.

"This group of saboteurs have tried always to foil our national campaigns and movements, starting in 1952 through the War of Liberation."

"Though the women's policy has not even mentioned the issue of inheritance, they are condemning it on the argument that its recommendations have defied the dictates of the Quran and Islam," said the women's rights campaigner.

Samajik Protirodh (Social Resistance) Committee has announced a rally to be held Friday at the Central Shaheed Minar, to call upon concerned quarters to take measures for implementing the women's policy. Over a hundred organisations including BNMS will take part in the rally.