Radical Islamist group Hefazat-e-Islam Bangladesh has threatened the Chief Advisor of the interim government, Muhammad Yunus, over the proposals made by the newly formed Women’s Affairs Reform Commission. The group warned that Yunus could face the same fate as former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina if the recommendations are implemented, reports said.
At various protest rallies across the country, Hefazat called the commission’s proposals “anti-Islamic” and demanded its immediate abolishment.
They announced a large rally to be held on May 3 at Suhrawardy Udyan in Dhaka. Similar protests were also organised in Chattogram’s Andarkill and at the Chashara Central Shaheed Minar in Narayanganj.
Speaking at one of the rallies, Hefazat’s joint secretary general Mamunul Haque accused the commission of disrespecting Islamic law. He criticised the proposal that social and religious customs are a reason for discrimination against women, and he directly accused Yunus of opposing Islamic inheritance laws. He warned that Yunus would not be treated differently from Hasina if he continued on this path.
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“Yunus Saheb has talked about implementing it quickly. He has stood against the Islamic inheritance law. We have given him a lot of respect, but if he moves on this path, we cannot treat him any different than Hasina,” Haque said, as quoted by IANS.
Another Islamist group, Khelafat Majlish, also issued strong warnings. At a protest near Baitul Mukarram National Mosque in Dhaka, the party’s Secretary General Ahmad Abdul Quader said the commission was created by people they labelled as atheists and Western supporters.
He said the proposal for a uniform family law for all religions in matters like marriage, divorce, and inheritance goes against the teachings of the Quran and Sunnah.
“We will never accept such anti-Islamic activities,” Quader threatened.
The situation has led to increased security measures, especially around key locations like the Baitul Mukarram Mosque.
The Women’s Affairs Reform Commission, which recently submitted a report with 433 recommendations to Muhammad Yunus, has come under heavy criticism from several Islamist organisations, including Jamaat-e-Islami and Islami Andolan Bangladesh.
Hasina, the five-time Prime Minister of Bangladesh, was serving her fourth consecutive term, where a massive uprising against her government, pertaining to a job quota, led to the ouster of the Awami League cabinet.
Hasina fled to India on August 5, 2024, just days before Yunus was sworn-in as the head of the interim government.
