Jamaat-e-Islami chief Shafiqur Rahman said safeguarding women’s security and dignity would be among his party’s foremost priorities
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DHAKA — Amid mounting criticism over his controversial remarks on women, Jamaat-e-Islami chief Shafiqur Rahman appeared to strike a conciliatory tone, asserting that safeguarding women’s security and dignity would be among his party’s foremost priorities if it comes to power, local media reported.
The statement comes just days after Rahman sparked outrage through a post on X, where he alleged that women being pushed out of their homes in the name of modernity were being exposed to exploitation, moral decline, and insecurity, which he described as “another form of prostitution”.
The remarks drew widespread condemnation across political and social circles.
Addressing a campaign rally in Kurigram district, Rahman attempted to reassure women voters and emphasised his party’s commitment to their safety.
“We will ensure 100 per cent security and dignity for you in your homes, on the roads, in workplaces, and everywhere, by all means,” Bangladesh’s leading newspaper, The Daily Star, quoted Rahman as saying.
He further sought to project a vision of a secure society, stating, “A country where mothers are not safe can never be my country. Rather, my country will be that one where the safety and dignity of my mothers, sisters, and daughters will be ensured. Do not be afraid, you will keep fighting, and speak looking towards other’s eyes. This Bangladesh will be a country for the people.”
During the rally, Rahman also took an indirect swipe at the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), alleging that a political party was attempting to malign his image following the alleged hacking of his social media account.
Earlier this week, BNP Chairman Tarique Rahman launched a strong attack on the Jamaat leader over his comments on women, warning that such views could threaten women’s safety and fundamental rights in the country, according to local media reports.
“Those who disrespect the women of the country and abuse them in ugly language, and whatever, cannot be patriotic or people-oriented. A political party wants to imprison mothers and sisters in their homes before the elections. They make scandalous comments about their employment. The people of the country are not safe from those who cannot respect their own women,” Bangladesh’s Bengali daily Bonik Barta quoted the BNP leader as saying while addressing a rally in Khulna district.
The controversy has been further fuelled by earlier statements from Jamaat’s Women’s Wing Secretary Nurunnisa Siddika, who said that women cannot occupy the party’s highest leadership position. She asserted that the party adheres to Islamic principles, which she claimed “do not allow women to serve as ameer”.
“According to the Quran, men are directors of women, which is considered a command and obligation in Islam,” Siddika was quoted as saying by the The Dhaka Tribune.
It is worth noting that senior Jamaat-e-Islami leader ATM Azharul Islam was released from prison in May 2025 after the Supreme Court overturned his death sentence. He had earlier been convicted in connection with rape and other crimes committed during the 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War.
With the Bangladesh national election just a week away, critics warn that Jamaat’s persistent misogynistic remarks and its decision to field no women candidates in the upcoming polls risk pushing the nation towards a regressive political path.