Women leaders meet chief adviser with proposals for reform

Women leaders today met with Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus urging swift action on the treatment of those injured in recent violence and the establishment of a judicial reforms commission to prevent a recurrence of past mistakes.

During the meeting, held at the state guesthouse Jamuna, they presented a series of recommendations aimed at curbing violence against women and ensuring fair recruitment processes. The chief adviser responded positively to their suggestions.

Following the meeting, Syeda Rizwana Hasan, adviser for Environment, Forest and Climate Change, briefed the media, emphasising the importance of prioritising these reforms within the interim government's broader agenda. She noted that while the discussions were productive, further consultations with other stakeholders would be necessary to finalise the proposals.

"Our goal was to listen to all and take their opinions in line with the broader reforms agenda we have. Recommendations came in a broader way," Rizwana told reporters.

She said if they cannot bring those changes in line with priority proposals, it might be difficult to execute them under a partisan government.

"We can't finalise things in a one-hour meeting. These will be discussed with other stakeholders. There is no negative position by the interim government on any proposal," Rizwana said.

She said there is an initiative from the government for the treatment of the injured persons but there was a proposal for expediting the process.

Rizwana Hasan mentioned a proposal to establish a foundation for financial support, though immediate action was urged as its creation may take time. Discussions also touched on forming a women's rights commission and empowering the Bangladesh Information Commission and National Human Rights Commission.

One student coordinator highlighted ongoing violence by previous government's student wing members, stressing the need for systemic change to ensure punishment for those involved in violence against women.

"I am not here to talk about that. But the entire system needs to be changed so that people involved in any violence against women do not go unpunished," Rizwana quoted the student representative as saying.

The cases of Kalpana Chakma, Tonu, Munia, and Nusrat were raised, demanding justice. Broader issues, including NGO harassment, appointments Shilpakala Academies around the country, and CHT matters, were also discussed.

Interim government Advisers Nurjahan Begum and Farida Akthar; principal coordinator for Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) affairs Lamiya Morshed, Shireen Huq, Samia Afrin, Seema Das Seemu, Taslima Akhtar, Ritu Sattar, Bithi Ghosh, Sultana Begum, Nigar Sultana, Sufia Rahman, Taskin Fahmina, Meghna Guhathakurta, Rani Yan Yan, Prof Dilara Chowdhury, Barrister Sara Hossain, Shaheen Anam, Nirupa Dewan, Prof Fahmida Khatun, Shamali Sheel, Irene Khan and Nabila Idris were among the participants.