Yet again, another man assumes it's his right to moral police a woman's choice

The recent viral videos from Cox's Bazar have shocked the entire nation. The distressing footage, which shows women being verbally and physically abused, sparked widespread outrage and condemnation. 

Their fault? Being alone and wearing clothes of their choice.

The attacks were carried out in the name of 'Sharia policing' and led by local Chhatra Shibir (student wing of Jamaat-e-Islami) cadre Farokul Islam and his associates. He was later arrested by the Detective Branch (DB) of police.

Women who were seemingly 'alone' or 'unaccompanied' by a male relative were targeted by him as he called them 'prostitutes'; he even hit a transgender person. Other Shibir cadres recorded the videos of the attacks and posted them on Facebook.

In one video, Farokul along with others was seen forcing a woman to hold her ears and do sit-ups. He also hit her with a stick in front of a large crowd at the Sugandha Beach Point. Another man was seen counting the sit-ups. 

In all the videos where women were harassed, either by other women or men, you'll notice that the bystanders—especially other women—rarely intervene. Instead of speaking out or taking a stand, they often remain silent, passively supporting the abuse

Author and human rights activist Shahana Huda Ranjana

It seems that, yet again, another man has assumed that it's his right to moral police a woman's choice. As usually happens in similar incidents, many people blamed the women for dressing 'indecently' and roaming 'alone' and wholeheartedly praised Farokul for his actions.

Lawyer and human rights activist Dr Faustina Pereira believes this is not a new phenomenon in the society. Harassment of women in public in the name of moral policing is a familiar occurrence. 

Earlier cases of imposition of fatwas and beating up couples who cannot show their marriage certificate in Ramna Park and Chandrima Uddyan are some such examples.

A few months ago, a rickshaw puller refused to give a ride to a girl because she was seen in denim pants and a shirt that he found "indecent". The girl posted about it on her Facebook account. 

"What's outrageously distinct in this recent case, however, is the blatant audacity of the perpetrators. Farokul, the arrested individual, posted multiple Facebook statuses before carrying out his so-called 'sharia raids'. He even proudly shared videos of harassing the women, boldly declaring Cox's Bazar as the 'state of Afghanistan'," she said.

On 13 September, he posted, "Remember, those who are getting bothered [by the incidents] are pimps," adding, "What the law can't do, the people can... so, don't lecture me."

During his arrest, Farokul did not show any remorse whatsoever over his acts. In fact, he seemed overjoyed by it. 

"If you look at the comments section [in Facebook], you will see a large number of people supporting his actions. This is exactly why such individuals feel emboldened to commit such heinous acts. Even if he believes that he has the moral high ground, he also knows that there's an audience and a cheering gallery, and that he can get away with it," said Dr Faustina.

She also emphasised the need for inclusive politics and fostering a culture of inclusion; both have strong roles to play in ensuring that these incidents do not happen. 

"We need to be clear about the current discourse on inclusive politics. What does this actually mean and look like? It cannot be limited to well-meaning platitudes. It must incorporate a culture of inclusion. Inclusive politics must remain vigilant against all forms of exclusion or 'othering.'"  

"It upholds a vision of pluralism and a philosophy of 'live and let live.' There is no space for a divisive 'us versus them' narrative in a culture of inclusion," she said. 

Dr Faustina believes this is a time of hope and aspiration for our nation where we can truly craft a narrative of inclusion where diversity is celebrated and not tyrannised. 

The 'good girls' and the 'bad girls' 

In one of the videos, a girl in a white dress who was simply walking along the beach, was also subjected to harassment by a female member of Farokul's team. 

The woman, who was wearing a hijab, forcibly removed the girl's face mask and filmed her. 

On this, Dr Faustina said that patriarchy is not just a male mindset. It is a mindset deeply ingrained in society, across sexes and genders, and women can often be its enablers. 

"It is the systematised dominance of women by men, the ideology and structure of which can be absorbed by women as well. It is rooted in separation and control," she went on. 

"If we recall the incident a few years ago, where a hijab-clad woman physically assaulted a young woman for wearing 'western clothing' (an off-shoulder top) at the Narsingdi Railway Station, surrounded by men cheering on the assault, it was clear from what the woman in hijab said after the incident that she believed she had the moral authority to do what she did. It is this kind of fusion of internalised patriarchy and self-abrogated moral superiority that fuels such actions." 

Author and human rights activist Shahana Huda Ranjana believes that the concept of women bringing down other women stems from deep-rooted misogyny. 

"I think the role of these women, who think it is their right and responsibility to take stock of what other women wear and behave, is more dangerous. Their concerns do not occur from benevolent interest, but rather simply out of insecurity," she said.
 
Drawing from her 2022 research, Ranjana explains how society has constructed a binary classification of women— "good girls" and "bad girls"—based on their clothing choices, behaviour, and the influence of pornography. 

The bad girls are the ones who are modern, wear western clothes, work in the media industry, and return home late at night. And to some of us, it seems perfectly alright to shame the 'bad ones' publicly because we believe this is what they deserve.

"In all the videos where women were harassed, either by other women or men, you'll notice that the bystanders—especially other women—rarely intervene. Instead of speaking out or taking a stand, they often remain silent, passively supporting the abuse," she added.

According to Ranjana, like men, women are also insecure about women who decide to lead lives their own way. Independent women appear like a threat to those who have very little or no voice in their personal lives. 

"Their psyche is also dominated by an underlying jealousy. In their minds, they think, 'If I couldn't have this freedom, then no one else should enjoy it either.' This is nothing but a projection of their frustration and suppression," she added.

Moral policing, be it at home or in public, has been very common in this country for centuries. But, the fact that the country has just gone through a revolution and its law and order are still reforming makes its female population more vulnerable than ever.

"There seems to be a mob mentality everywhere these days. Whether it's looting, arson, or now, a new wave of individuals targeting girls, the essence of the mob is the same—harassment and violence," she said. 

Just a few weeks ago, 50-year-old Shahida was brutally beaten by a local man at the capital's Shyamoli who assumed that she was a sex worker. 

The entire incident was filmed, and the man posted the video on Facebook.

Shahida is a former sex worker who now works as a field officer for Ahsania Mission's project on HIV prevention and treatment services for sex workers.

"Even if she is a sex worker, who gave him the right to beat her? We should form zero-tolerance policies against these outbreaks of violence," said Ranjana.

The Business Standard also tried to contact Sharmeen Murshid, Adviser for Women and Children Affairs of Bangladesh, for her insights on the recent incidents. But her phone was unreachable.