'Talibani era' in Bangladesh? Dress code for women, protest gag order spark row

India Today

2 days ago

Restrictions on women's clothing, a hush-hush ordinance introduced in the night that eliminates the right of employees to protest against the government, have become the latest issues to grip the Muhammad Yunus regime in Bangladesh.Not only have the developments invited an avalanche of backlash on social media, some have even compared them to similar diktats issued by the Taliban regime in Afghanistan.advertisementEarlier this week, the Bangladesh Bank caused a storm after it barred women employees from wearing short dresses, clothing with short sleeves and leggings. It asked women to stick to sarees or salwar kameez.
The directive by the central bank also suggested that women wear headscarves and hijab and formal sandals or shoes. For men, the order issued by the HR team of the bank explicitly barred jeans and chino trousers.Failure to adhere to the directives would attract disciplinary actions, the order said. Moreover, all departments were directed to appoint an officer to monitor compliance with the dress code guidelines.DRESS CODE ORDER SPARKS FURYHowever, the restrictions on the clothing of women sparked fury across the nation, with citizens and journalists taking to social media to accuse the government of "dictatorship".Some even compared the diktat to the orders by the Taliban regime in Afghanistan, which has ordered all women to wear head-to-toe clothing in public."New Talibani era under meticulous dictator," one user tweeted.Fauzia Moslem, the president of the Bangladesh Mahila Parishad, told local media that such a directive was unprecedented in Bangladesh. "A certain cultural sphere is being shaped, and this directive reflects that effort," she said.Amid the social media stir, Bangladesh Bank withdrew the directive on Thursday. "This circular is purely advisory. No obligation has been imposed regarding the wearing of hijab or burqa," spokesperson Arif Hossain Khan told BD News.PROTESTS OVER WOMEN'S RIGHTS IN BANGLADESHThe development comes at a time when Islamist groups have opposed the government's proposed recommendations for ensuring equal rights, including ones related to property, for women.Last month, an Islamist group staged a protest against teachers of a university, labelling them as "anti-hijab". Another Islamic outfit, Jamaat-Char Monai, has given calls to turn Bangladesh into a Sharia-compliant nation like Afghanistan.In May, thousands of workers of an outfit named Hefazat-e-Islam rallied near Dhaka University carrying banners reading, "Say no to Western laws on our women, rise up Bangladesh".ORDER ON PROTESTS AGAINST GOVERNMENTadvertisementAmid the row, what has further rankled citizens is an ordinance passed on Wednesday night that proposes action against employees protesting against the government.The amended ordinance replaces the controversial term "disobedience" with "misconduct disrupting public duty", according to a report in BD News. A previous version of the legislation had triggered massive protests by government employees.The legislation says if any government employee violates or obstructs the implementation of any government order, they could be dismissed from service or demoted to a lower rank.Moreover, the new law also does not have any provision for appealing against the decision taken against an employee.- EndsTune InMust Watch