EUROPE VISIT: Jamaat clarifies stance on democracy, women’s rights

Staff Reporter :

The Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami leadership’s views on democracy, women’s rights, and minority issues were at the forefront of discussions during the party’s recent visit to Europe, Nayeeb-e-Ameer Syed Abdullah Mohammad Taher said on Sunday.

Speaking at a press conference at the Jamaat’s central office in Dhaka, Taher described a series of meetings between a Jamaat delegation-led by Ameer Dr. Shafiqur Rahman-and European officials, including a meeting with European Union Ambassador to Bangladesh Michael Miller.

Taher said the visit, undertaken at the invitation of the European Union, sought to strengthen understanding and cooperation between Jamaat and European institutions.

The five-member Jamaat delegation traveled to Brussels from April 7 to 10 and visited various Swedish governmental institutions before heading to the United Kingdom on April 11 and 12. During these meetings, Taher said, the delegation engaged in detailed discussions about mutual interests and future cooperation, focusing particularly on political freedoms, human rights, and the evolving relationship between the EU and Jamaat-e-Islami.

One of the most pressing topics, according to Taher, was Jamaat’s policy on democracy and minority rights, as well as its position on women’s rights-a subject of particular scrutiny from European interlocutors. “We made it clear that everyone is very aware of their rights and will be empowered to play their role in society,” Taher said.

He emphasised that Jamaat supports women’s participation in politics, pointing to what he described as a unique internal statistic: women make up 43 percent of the party’s membership, a figure he claimed surpasses that of any other political party in Bangladesh.

Addressing concerns over Jamaat’s views on women’s reform, Taher said the delegation had conveyed its opposition to certain recommendations proposed by a women’s rights reform committee, notably the licensing of sex work.

“We objected to the proposal of licensing sex workers. It is very shameful for women, inhuman, and an attack on their dignity and fundamental human rights,” he said, adding that otherwise, the party embraces women’s roles in social and political life.

He expressed confidence that the EU representatives were “convinced” by Jamaat’s explanations.

The meetings also extended into economic discussions, with Jamaat proposing the establishment of an exclusive zone for European investment in Bangladesh’s garment sector.

Taher noted that the proposal received a positive response and that the party urged the EU to consider budgetary cooperation.