BNP to mobilise female activists to counter Jamaat’s female wing
BNP is preparing to counter the female activists of Jamaat-e-Islami across the country.
Ahead of the upcoming national elections, Jamaat has mobilised its women’s wing nationwide, targeting female voters. According to BNP’s top leadership, Jamaat activists are influencing women voters in different ways.
To counter this strategy, BNP is also planning women-focused programmes targeting female voters, party sources have confirmed.
However, this will not be done directly under the BNP banner. Instead, the initiative will be carried out through the ‘Women and Children Rights Forum’, launched in August 2019. BNP Standing Committee member Selima Rahman is convener of the forum while Dhaka district BNP’s General Secretary Nipun Roy Chowdhury is member secretary.
Forum leaders told Prothom Alo that the campaign will mainly consist of small, localised programmes. The initiative will involve BNP-backed former and current public representatives at the union, pourashava, and upazila levels across the country. These representatives will be brought together to receive election-related directives from the party. The programme will also present BNP’s future vision, address women’s rights, protection, and empowerment, and raise awareness among female voters.
The forum leaders confirmed that the campaign will begin in the Khulna division on 14 October and continue for three consecutive days across different districts in the region, before expanding to other divisions in phases.
According to the schedule, discussions and exchanges with BNP-backed former and current representatives from Khulna district and city, as well as Bagerhat and Satkhira districts, will take place on 14 October. The following day, views will be exchanged with representatives from greater Jashore, Magura, Jhenaidah, and Narail districts. On 16 October, discussions will take place with representatives from Kushtia, Meherpur, and Chuadanga districts.
In each district, BNP’s local presidents or conveners, general secretaries, or member secretaries will be included. The programmes will be led by the forum’s convener Selima Rahman and member secretary Nipun Roy Chowdhury.
BNP insiders said that Jamaat has already mobilised its women activists across the country to influence female voters. BNP leaders at the grassroots level are receiving various reports in this regard, creating concern among the party’s policymakers.
Speaking to Prothom Alo, Nipun Roy Chowdhury said, “The goal of this campaign is to present BNP’s vision to female voters. We will talk about their rights and protection, and raise their awareness. These are our core initiatives.”
BNP insiders said that Jamaat has already mobilised its women activists across the country to influence female voters. BNP leaders at the grassroots level are receiving various reports in this regard, creating concern among the party’s policymakers. To counter this, BNP’s top leadership wants to organise women at the grassroots to create a mass wave in favour of its electoral symbol, the ‘sheaf of paddy.’ To this end, responsibilities have been assigned to both the BNP’s Women’s Front (Jatiyatabadi Mohila Dal) and the Women and Children Rights Forum.
Acknowledging Jamaat’s female outreach, The forum’s convener Selima Rahman told Prothom Alo, “That’s why our affiliated organisations are also active on the ground. We are working in our own way. Our main message is that if Bangladesh wants to escape the political culture and moral decay it is stuck in, and move toward a happy and prosperous future, we all need to become more aware, especially during elections.”