Sustainable national development needed, not token success stories: Zaima Rahman

“Security, safety and transport systems, almost everything, have essentially been designed to keep men safe and successful. Women are adjusting themselves within these systems. This world is not only for men to succeed in, it is for women too. So we must step forward.”

These remarks were made by Zaima Rahman, daughter of newly appointed BNP chairperson Tarique Rahman, while speaking at a policy dialogue on Sunday afternoon. She noted that this was her first participation in any policy dialogue.

Zaima Rahman had been living in London with her father for the past 17 years. On 25 December last year, she returned to Bangladesh along with her parents.

The policy dialogue, titled “Women Shaping the Nation: Policy, Possibility and the Future of Bangladesh”, was organised by the Dhaka Forum Initiative at the Krishibid Institution Bangladesh (KIB) auditorium in Farmgate of Dhaka. BNP Standing Committee member Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury also took part in the dialogue.

The panel discussion featured Rupali Chowdhury, managing director of Berger Paints Bangladesh Limited; Fahmida Khatun, executive director of the Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD); and Tamara Abed, managing director of BRAC Enterprises.

Young participants took part in an open discussion session, raising questions for Zaima Rahman on women’s vulnerability to climate change, online harassment, and women’s empowerment in politics and the economy. The programme was moderated by journalist Kazi Jesin.

Zaima Rahman first presented a written statement and later responded to questions. In her written remarks, she said, “I have been given the opportunity today to speak on policy issues in Bangladesh. I am not someone who has all the answers to all problems. I believe that all of us have an inherent capacity to contribute to society and the country.”

She added, “Today’s dialogue is about how women are shaping the nation. But before talking about shaping the future, we must honestly talk about the everyday realities of women in Bangladesh—the realities that shape their lives. My first understanding of women’s roles in society came from my family, as it does for most of us. Long before we learn about policy, law or institutions, our homes are our first classrooms.”

At the event, Zaima Rahman referred to the role of her grandfather, former president Ziaur Rahman, in creating employment opportunities for women; her pathernal grandmother Khaleda Zia’s initiatives, including stipends for girls’ education during her tenure as prime minister; her mother’s professional responsibilities as a doctor; her maternal grandmother’s social work; and her father’s views on women’s empowerment.

She said, “My grandfather, President Ziaur Rahman, understood that development can never be complete if women are excluded. I remember a story about my grandmother. When she was in London with us and receiving treatment at a hospital, a Nigerian nurse recognised her and said her country had benefited from following Khaleda Zia’s model of girls’ education.”

Emphasising the role of men in achieving gender equality, Zaima Rahman said, “The support of men—our fathers, brothers, sons, husbands, colleagues and friends—for women’s rights is crucial. Celebrating women’s achievements is important. But equality cannot survive on words alone. If systems and expectations continue to rely, as a norm, on women’s sacrifices, inequality will persist.”

She said, “I believe fathers, in particular, have a unique role in breaking this cycle. I am an only child, and my parents never made me feel they wanted a son instead of a daughter. Once, when someone asked such a question, my father scolded them.”

She added, “He understood that even if I grew up with respect and care at home, the outside world would not always be the same. So he ensured that I could face that world with confidence.”

Zaima Rahman said, “When women are welcomed rather than pushed to the margins, they do not only change their own lives, they transform the future of their families and the nation. If Bangladesh truly wants progress, it needs sustainable national development, not symbolic success stories.”

“Empowerment cannot be confined to classrooms, offices or policy-making alone. It must reach our homes, our institutions and our mindsets. That responsibility lies with all of us,” she added.

During the question-and-answer session, she said women face the greatest risk of displacement due to climate change, which also increases the risk of trafficking.

She noted that 78 per cent of women experience online harassment, particularly on Facebook, describing this as a lived reality. Legal protection, she said, is insufficient, and there is inadequate safety even when filing complaints.

Zaima Rahman reiterated that security, safety and transport systems are largely designed to protect men and facilitate their success, not women’s. Women are forced to adapt to these systems instead of being accommodated by them.

She stressed the need to create accessibility for women, noting that many women are forced to leave their careers at critical moments, often just before promotion, due to family responsibilities and childcare.

“Some things can be redesigned so that women can succeed better in society,” she said. “This world is not only for men to succeed in; it is for women too. So we must step forward.”