Bangladesh Bank’s Order Bars Women From Wearing Short Dresses, Protest Gag Order Spark Row
Dhaka : Restrictions on women’s clothing, a hush-hush ordinance introduced in the night that eliminates the right of employees to protest against the government, have become the latest issues to grip the Muhammad Yunus regime in Bangladesh. The Bangladesh Bank caused a storm after it barred women employees from wearing short dresses, clothing with short sleeves and leggings.
The directive by the central bank also suggested that women wear headscarves and hijab and formal sandals or shoes. For men, the order issued by the HR team of the bank explicitly barred jeans and chino trousers. Failure to adhere to the directives would attract disciplinary actions, the order said. Moreover, all departments were directed to appoint an officer to monitor compliance with the dress code guidelines.
Some even compared the diktat to the orders by the Taliban regime in Afghanistan, which has ordered all women to wear head-to-toe clothing in public. Fauzia Moslem, the president of the Bangladesh Mahila Parishad, told local media that such a directive was unprecedented in Bangladesh. “A certain cultural sphere is being shaped, and this directive reflects that effort, she said.
The development comes at a time when Islamist groups have opposed the government’s proposed recommendations for ensuring equal rights, including ones related to property, for women. Last month, an Islamist group staged a protest against teachers of a university, labelling them as “anti-hijab”. Another Islamic outfit, Jamaat-Char Monai, has given calls to turn Bangladesh into a Sharia-compliant nation like Afghanistan. The legislation says if any government employee violates or obstructs the implementation of any government order, they could be dismissed from service or demoted to a lower rank.
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