The Women’s Political Rights Forum has unanimously rejected the invitation to attend the signing ceremony of the July National Charter, stating that the document fails to ensure meaningful political representation for women. In a protest letter released Thursday, the forum said that the aspirations of Bangladeshi women are “sorely absent” from the charter, describing it as a continuation of patriarchal politics that silences women’s voices even after the 2024 mass uprising.
The statement expressed deep concern that none of the forum’s key demands—such as a direct election framework for women’s parliamentary seats and mandatory inclusion of women in political parties—were incorporated into the final draft. Instead, the charter delays the target for women’s political representation to 2030, which the forum called a “backward precedent.” The letter also criticized the National Consensus Commission and political parties for rejecting proposals for direct elections and for merely increasing women’s party nominations by 5 percent, effectively delaying real reform until 2043.
The forum emphasized that this decision is not against any specific institution but reflects a collective policy stance rooted in the demand for women’s political equality. “The July Charter was not for everyone,” the statement said, pointing out that women were excluded from the Consensus Commission and that no efforts were made to incorporate recommendations from the Women’s Affairs Reform Commission or related reform bodies.
In closing, the Women’s Political Rights Forum reaffirmed its commitment to continue the struggle for equal and non-discriminatory representation, vowing to engage with citizens, political parties, and the government. “It is the women of Bangladesh who will set an example of true fairness and democratic inclusion,” the statement concluded.
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