Hefazat-e-Islam announces nationwide program to 'ensure women's rights'

Hefazat-e-Islam Bangladesh has launched a new nationwide program aimed at what it describes as "ensuring women's rights," with plans for divisional conferences and protest rallies.

The announcement came during a mass rally held on Saturday at Suhrawardy Udyan in the capital.

Addressing the rally, Hefazat's Secretary General Sajidur Rahman stated that the organization will organize divisional conferences over the next three months to advocate for women's "rightful entitlements."

He also declared that the group will stage a protest march after Friday prayers on May 23 to demand action on four key issues tied to women's rights and national concerns.

In addition to these announcements, the rally served as a platform for the group to unveil a list of twelve major demands. These include a call to ban the Awami League and declare it a "terrorist organization."

Hefazat further demanded the dissolution of the current Women's Commission and the formation of a new commission that includes Islamic scholars.

The group called for amending the Constitution to reestablish trust in Allah and eliminate pluralism. It reiterated demands for justice over the 2013 Shapla Chattar crackdown, the cancellation of Chinmoy Das's bail, and the withdrawal of all legal cases filed against Islamic scholars during the Awami League's tenure.

Hefazat also urged the government to make Islamic education mandatory from the primary level, avoid any move to establish a transit corridor through Myanmar's Rakhine state, and officially declare the Ahmadiyya (Qadiani) community as non-Muslims.

Thousands of Hefazat supporters arrived in Dhaka from across the country in the early hours of Saturday to attend the rally.

The event formally began at 9 a.m. and centered on opposition to the proposed Women's Rights Reform Commission and calls for justice regarding alleged killings and political repression during the current government's time in power.

The rally was presided over by Hefazat's Amir, Shah Muhibbullah Babunagari, and featured speeches from senior Hefazat leaders as well as representatives from various like-minded political and religious groups.