Salahuddin Ahmed, a member of BNP’s National Standing Committee, said women are increasingly falling victim to those who manipulate religion for political purposes.
“A political party is trying to cross the electoral threshold by selling the ticket to heaven, exploiting religion for political gain. Meanwhile, women suffer abuse at their hands," he said.
He made these comments on Friday morning as the chief guest at a pre-gathering of a silent rally in Shahbagh titled, “Rising Violence and Disrespect Against Women: Preparedness of an Aware Female Society.”
The rally, organized by the Forum for Women and Child Rights, started from Shahbagh with participants covering their mouths with black cloth and ended at the Central Shaheed Minar.
Salahuddin Ahmed added: “Currently, there is widespread violence against women across the country, and effective protests against these incidents have not yet been established. Some laws are enacted, but strict enforcement often fails. Loopholes in the law allow perpetrators and rapists to escape justice. In some cases, law enforcement even misuses strict laws. We will also focus on these issues.”
The gathering was presided over by Begum Selima Rahman, convener of the Forum for Women and Child Rights and BNP standing committee member, and conducted by Advocate Nipun Roy Chowdhury, general secretary of Dhaka District BNP and secretary of the forum. Other speakers included Shirin Sultana, Nilufar Chowdhury Moni, Sanjida Islam Tuli, and Rehana Akter Shirin.