A group of women leaders met the Chief Election Commissioner in Dhaka and demanded cancellation of the candidacy of Shafiqur Rahman, Ameer of Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami, over alleged derogatory remarks about working women. The delegation raised the issue at the Election Commission office in Agargaon on Sunday.
Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Democratic Revolutionary Party General Secretary Moshrefa Mishu said the remarks, published from a verified X account attributed to the Jamaat leader, were an insult to working women and dismissed the explanation that the post resulted from hacking. She said no transparent investigation or official platform verification had been publicly presented.
Mishu said the comments undermine the contributions of women workers in sectors such as the garment industry and contradict constitutional guarantees of equality, dignity, and rights. She said such statements could foster discrimination and insecurity for women in workplaces.
The delegation’s demands included a public retraction of the statement, an unconditional apology to working women, a commitment to avoid similar remarks, and action under the Election Commission’s code of conduct, including cancellation of the candidacy. Academics, labor activists, and rights advocates were among those present at the meeting.
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