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Silenced, transferred, threatened: Women are still speaking out in post-uprising Bangladesh

July 2, 2025

Following Bangladesh's July 2024 uprising that ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, the initial promise of democratic reform has deteriorated into increased violence and censorship against women activists. Nadira Yeasmin, a feminist academic advocating for equal inheritance rights, has become a primary target of Islamist backlash after a Women's Affairs Reform Commission report proposed equal inheritance for women. Conservative religious groups like Hefazat-e-Islam and Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami have organized protests against the report and Yeasmin specifically, leading to her being transferred from her teaching position to an Officer on Special Duty role with no assigned responsibilities.

Who is affected

  • Nadira Yeasmin, feminist academic and assistant professor at Narsingdi Government College
  • Women activists who participated in the anti-Hasina protests
  • Women across Bangladesh facing increased violence and sexual assault
  • Sex workers whose status was addressed in the controversial report
  • Students and colleagues who supported Yeasmin and faced harassment
  • Members of the Women's Affairs Reform Commission
  • Muslim, Hindu, and Buddhist women with restricted inheritance rights

What action is being taken

  • Conservative groups and political parties are organizing protests against the Women's Affairs Reform Commission report
  • Thousands marched through Dhaka on May 3 against the proposed reforms
  • A writ has been filed against the reform report on May 4
  • Groups including Hefazat-e-Islam and students are staging protests demanding Yeasmin's removal
  • Coordinated social media attacks and cyber-harassment campaigns are being conducted against Yeasmin
  • Academics, civil society, feminist and human rights groups are condemning Yeasmin's removal
  • Nari Angan (Yeasmin's organization) is advocating for the reform report and educating women about their fundamental rights

Why it matters

  • The backlash threatens the democratic reforms promised after the July 2024 uprising
  • The proposed equal inheritance rights would significantly change women's economic status in Bangladesh
  • The treatment of Yeasmin demonstrates the interim government's unwillingness to protect women's rights advocates
  • The case highlights the ongoing tension between religious conservatism and women's rights in Bangladesh
  • The silencing of women who led the anti-Hasina protests shows a regression in democratic progress
  • The situation exposes how religion is being weaponized to deprive women of property and power
  • The controversy reveals deeper issues about the status of sex workers and their rights

What's next

  • No explicit next steps stated in the article

Read full article from source: Global Voices