Hefazat-e-Islam demands abolition of Women's Affairs Reform Commission
The group has demanded the cancellation of the proposals along with the complete abolition of the commission
Hefazat-e-Islam Bangladesh has demanded the abolition of the Women's Affairs Reform Commission, which was formed by the interim government to introduce reforms aimed at empowering women, reports Prothom Alo.
The announcement was made by the organisation's joint secretary general, Maulana Mamunul Haque, following a special meeting of its executive committee today (20 April) around 1:30pm. The meeting began at 10am at the IDEB building in Kakrail, Dhaka.
According to Prothom Alo, Hefazat-e-Islam said that the proposals by the Women's Affairs Reform Commission contains "objectionable" references to religious laws, particularly Islamic inheritance and family laws, labelling them as sources of discrimination against women.
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The group has demanded the cancellation of the proposals along with the complete abolition of the commission.
The Prothom Alo report mentions that after the meeting, Hefazat-e-Islam put forward five demands, which include: swift trials for killings during the Shapla Chattar crackdown and the anti-Modi protests, as well as the withdrawal of what they termed false cases against Hefazat leaders.
The group also expressed strong objections to some provisions proposed by the Constitutional Reform Commission, particularly rejecting the proposal to incorporate pluralism. They demanded that such proposals be scrapped and that the country's constitution reaffirm faith and trust in Allah, according to the report.
Additionally, Hefazat-e-Islam has urged the interim government to take appropriate action to pressure the Indian government to repeal the recently passed Waqf Amendment Act, citing ongoing persecution of Muslims in India.
The group also condemned Israel's mass killings in Gaza and called on global leaders to intervene and stop the atrocities.
Hefazat-e-Islam Secretary General Maulana Sajidur Rahman announced that during their special meeting, it was unanimously decided to hold a grand rally at Dhaka's Suhrawardy Udyan on 3 May. The rally will run from 9am to 1pm and will feature the presentation of several demands.
Speaking on the matter, Maulana Mamunul Haque said that to ensure the success of the grand rally, a nationwide public campaign will be carried out from 22 April to 28 April.
