Confusion created by linking remarks on extremism with elections: Rizwana

Former adviser to the interim government Syeda Rizwana Hasan has said that her remarks on extremism against women are being circulated in a distorted manner and that confusion is being created by linking the statement to elections.

She said it was “unfortunate” and “unwarranted” that comments made during a discussion with a television channel were being interpreted by connecting them with elections and the opposition.

Rizwana Hasan made the remarks to Prothom Alo on Thursday evening.

The former adviser said she was speaking on various issues during the discussion with the television channel. Among them were extremism against women and some recent incidents. The host had asked how she viewed incidents such as attacks on shrines, persecution of Baul singers and derogatory remarks about women. The question also referred to allegations that extremists were being given space in such cases.

Rizwana Hasan said that in response to the host’s question she had said, “Just as women in society protested against those who made derogatory remarks, served legal notices and the government also spoke out, they eventually apologised. We (women in society) must work to ensure that those extremist forces that made such derogatory remarks do not become mainstream. I said that women in society—not the government—have prevented those forces from becoming mainstream.”

Explaining her statement, Rizwana Hasan said that at one point in the conversation the host raised the issue of elections. At that moment she said they would work on initiatives of the opposition that are related to women’s empowerment. After that, she returned to the original question and spoke again about extremism.

She claimed that throughout the discussion she did not mention the name of any political party, as it was not relevant to the question. Noting that the opposition is certainly part of the mainstream, Rizwana Hasan said, “The claim that I said I did not allow any party to become mainstream is merely a misinterpretation, irrelevant and misleading. My remarks were about extremist forces; I made no statement about any political party.”

Meanwhile, Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami on Thursday afternoon accused former advisers Syeda Rizwana Hasan and Khalilur Rahman of “election engineering”. The party demanded that the two former advisers be brought under the law, interrogated and put on trial.

The allegation was made at a press conference organised by Jamaat-e-Islami, where the party’s naib-e-ameer Syed Abdullah Mohammad Taher spoke.

The deputy leader of the opposition in parliament, Syed Abdullah Mohammad Taher, said, “Yesterday we found a state witness. The name of that state witness is former adviser Advocate Rizwana. She revealed to a journalist that those who—according to her—failed to ensure proper rights for women, even if they were in the opposition, were not allowed by them to become part of the mainstream or a major force. That makes it clear that the election engineering that has been discussed was admitted by her, making her a crown witness.”

The Jamaat leader said they want to know what kind of “engineering” was used to prevent Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami from becoming a mainstream or major party with a majority.

He added, “Who else was involved in this engineering along with her? Was it the whole government or only a section of the government that influenced the election and, according to their design, appointed DCs, SPs, UNOs, OCs and presiding officers, and deployed members of law enforcement agencies to ensure that a particular party achieved their desired number of seats? This must be clarified before the nation.”

Abdullah Mohammad Taher said, “I demand from this government that they explain how they will bring Rizwana Hasan under interrogation, and after doing so, learn about the situation she created and inform us and the people of the country clearly.”