Remarks Targeting Working Women Are Disgraceful, Says Tarique Rahman

BNP Chairperson Tarique Rahman has described recent remarks made by a political party about working women as disgraceful and shameful, saying such comments insult half of the country’s population.

He made the remarks on Monday afternoon while addressing a BNP election rally at Prabhati School Ground in Khulna city.

After a gap of nearly 22 years, Tarique Rahman visited Khulna to attend a public election meeting. He arrived at the venue around 12:30 pm and was greeted with applause from party leaders, activists, and supporters. Waving to the crowd, he delivered a speech lasting about 27 minutes.

Without naming any individual or party, Tarique Rahman said a political leader had recently used an offensive term to describe women who go out to work for a living, adding that even mentioning such language in public was embarrassing and damaging to the nation’s values.

He said millions of women working in the garment industry play a crucial role in keeping Bangladesh’s economy running. Women from lower-middle-class and middle-class families are also contributing financially to their households due to rising living costs. “Yet today, these very women are being humiliated,” he added.

Referring to Islamic history, Tarique Rahman said those who claim to uphold Islamic values should remember that Hazrat Khadija (RA), the wife of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), was a successful businesswoman. “No one has the authority to insult women for being economically active,” he said.

Addressing claims that the controversial remarks were made due to a hacked social media account, Tarique Rahman said experts have ruled out such a possibility. He accused the party concerned of misleading the public ahead of the election and said those who disrespect women, spread falsehoods, and suppress voting rights cannot claim to be patriotic or people-oriented.

Announcing a plan to introduce a ‘Family Card’ if BNP comes to power, he said women would be gradually made financially independent through this initiative. “Bangladesh has nearly 20 crore people, half of whom are women. No national development plan can succeed by leaving this vast population behind,” he said.

Speaking on regional development, Tarique Rahman said Khulna, once an industrial hub, has become almost stagnant. A BNP government, he said, would revive industries in Khulna, Bagerhat, and Satkhira and ensure employment opportunities for both men and women.

He also spoke about the upcoming 12 February national election, recalling years of political struggle, enforced disappearances, killings, and repression faced by BNP leaders and activists. He said the people of Bangladesh reclaimed their voice through mass movements in July 2024 and are now ready to exercise their voting rights once again.

At the rally, Tarique Rahman handed over the BNP election symbol to candidates from Khulna, Bagerhat, and Satkhira, urging voters to support them.

Stressing national reconstruction as the BNP’s first priority if elected, he said the country must be rebuilt by uniting people from all political, social, and professional backgrounds. “For more than a decade, people were denied their right to vote. Now the time has come to reclaim that right,” he said.