‘Broom march’ held in protest against Jamaat chief’s insult to working women

A protest rally and a symbolic “broom march” were held today (1 February) at the base of the Raju Sculpture near the TSC area of Dhaka University in the afternoon, condemning the Jamaat chief’s remarks, described as insulting to working women.

The programme was organised by a group of protesters, including students from various institutions. 

Addressing the gathering, Mukta Barai, president of the Socialist Students’ Front, said, “Using women against the country’s progress is not new for a political party; this has long been their policy. History and recent events prove this.”

She further said that working women must be shown due respect, that those responsible for such derogatory remarks should offer a public apology, and that women would continue their march forward despite attempts to undermine them.

The protest followed the circulation of a screenshot of a post from Dr Shafiqur Rahman’s verified X account that began spreading on social media last night. The post has since been deleted, with Jamaat-e-Islami claiming the account had been hacked.

The post read, “On the question of women, Jamaat’s position is neither confused nor apologetic – it is principled. We do not think women should come in leadership. In Jamaat, it is impossible. Allah did not permit this.”

It further stated, “We believe that when women are pushed out of the home in the name of modernity, they are exposed to exploitation, moral decay, and insecurity. It’s nothing but another form of prostitution. Social media vulgarity, workplace harassment, and commodification of women are not signs of progress – they are symptoms of moral collapse.

“We refuse to compromise with immorality, no matter how fashionable it becomes.”

The screenshot of the now-deleted post triggered widespread criticism from various quarters, including political parties and rights activists.