The Women's Affairs Reform Commission has recommended forming an independent permanent women affairs commission to ensure the rights of women. “We proposed establishing an independent permanent women affairs commission, which will observe and monitor the violation of women’s rights and ensure their protection,” Commission Chief Shireen Parveen Haque told a press briefing in Dhaka. The briefing was arranged at the Foreign Service Academy to inform media of the findings of the report prepared by the commission.
Earlier in the day, the members of the Women's Affairs Reform Commission, led by its Chief Shireen Parveen Haque, handed over the report to Chief Adviser Professor Dr. Muhammad Yunus at the state guest house Jamuna in Dhaka, local media reported.
Citing the proposals of the Commission, Shireen said recommendations have been divided into three parts, saying that they proposed some recommendations, which can be implemented during the interim government and some recommendations have been made for the next elected government.
She said the commission proposed removing all forms of discriminations from the family law and other laws, and acknowledging food, cloth, accommodation, education, health and works in the constitution as the fundamental rights.
Commission members Maheen Sultan, senior fellow, BRAC Institute of Governance and Development; Advocate Kamrun Nahar; Kalpona Akter, president, Bangladesh Garment and Industrial Workers Federation; Dr Halida Hanum Akhter, women's health expert; Sumaiya Islam, executive director, Bangladesh Nari Sramik Kendra; Nirupa Dewan, former member, National Human Rights Commission; Ferdousi Sultana, former senior social development adviser, Asian Development Bank; and Nishita Zaman Niha, a student representative, were present at the press briefing.
In its report, the commission proposed increasing seats of the national parliament to 600 while there will be one general seat and one reserved seat for women in each constituency. Both seats will be elected in each constituency through vote.
It also proposed nominating candidates to polls through zipper method while all political parties will nominate candidates maintaining equal ratio.
In November 2024, the interim government formed a 10-member Women's Affairs Reform Commission asking it to submit its report to the Chief Adviser within 90 days.
