Bangladeshi fundamentalists label women activists ‘sex workers’ to silence, discredit their work: Dhaka Uni professor

A prominent academic and activist from Bangladesh has raised alarm over what she describes as a worsening climate for women’s rights in the country, saying that those who speak out are increasingly facing threats, harassment and social pressure.

News18 quoted Zobaida Nasreen, a professor at Dhaka University and a leading figure in last year’s protest movement, as saying in an interview from Germany that the situation for women has become “pathetic,” with conservative and religious groups pushing back hard against any reforms.

Nasreen, currently in Germany on a scholarship program, accused the Bangladeshi government of giving in to fundamentalist factions opposed to reforms aimed at strengthening women’s rights.

Backlash against policy recommendations

Nasreen pointed to recent developments following the appointment of a women’s affairs commission under the administration of Prime Minister Muhammad Yunus. The commission had submitted a set of recommendations aimed at improving the legal and social standing of women, including provisions for sex workers and reforms to inheritance laws.

“The recommendations put forward by the women’s commission, intended to improve the status of women in the country, have been outright rejected by fundamentalist groups,” Nasreen said. “Worse, those who served on the committee are now being openly threatened and defamed, with many labelled as ‘sex workers’ to silence and discredit them.”

Groups like Hefazat-e-Islam and Jamaat-e-Islami have led protests against the commission’s proposals, reportedly pressuring the government to abandon them. “Disturbingly, the government appears to be influenced by these groups,” Nasreen added.

A reversal of progress

The current climate marks a stark contrast to last year’s mass demonstrations, where women played a visible and vocal role.

“During last year’s protests, women participated in large numbers—even in the middle of the night, wearing whatever they had on. At that time, no one objected. But now, those same women are being targeted with abusive language and harassment,” she said.

Nasreen also criticised the National Citizen Party (NCP), which leads the current government, for its silence.

“I also believe that the NCP is complicit in this. Their silence is telling—they have not spoken out against this backlash, which indirectly supports the targeting of women.”

A climate of fear

Nasreen said the effects are being felt in daily life. “Women are afraid. Many have started changing the way they dress—not because of any legal requirement, but because of mounting social pressure. The psychological and social pressure is immense. They are living in constant fear and under significant stress.”

She also spoke of being indirectly threatened herself, recalling that she received a letter advising her to cover her head before returning to her university. “I was active in the movement and opposed the Sheikh Hasina regime—I faced harassment then as well. What’s happening now is deeply troubling. Anyone who dares to speak out against fundamentalist forces is being targeted,” she said.

The Bangladeshi government has not commented publicly on the claims or the alleged threats made against the women’s commission and activists.

Rights groups have warned that the combination of social conservatism and political silence could erode hard-won gains in gender equality in Bangladesh, a country once praised for its progress on women’s education and participation in public life.