TIB’s chief says he reached out to advisors but got no remedy over ‘attacks’ on women’s commission

He says women’s rights have suffered their “deepest setback” in the past 18 months

Transparency International Bangladesh’s Executive Director Ifthekharuzzaman has said he has repeatedly appealed to members of the interim government for action after hostility grew around the Women’s Affairs Reform Commission, but received no redress.

On Saturday, speaking at the opening session of the Bangladesh Energy Summit at the Military Museum in Dhaka, he said he had approached at least seven advisors directly as “abusive” campaigns surged against the commission and its members faced security concerns.

The TIB chief said he had asked the advisors to set out the government’s position in support of the commission but was told only that the report was “not a government report”.

He asked why any commission’s findings should be dismissed on that basis and said the reaction had emboldened the groups attacking the body’s work.

According to him, the government did not show the resolve needed to stand up to the vulgarity of the campaign or to defend the commission’s recommendations.

Instead, he said, the authorities had appeared to concede ground to those leading the “attacks”.

The interim government, formed after the fall of the Sheikh Hasina administration, has created 11 reform commissions.

The Women’s Affairs Reform Commission submitted its report to the chief advisor on Apr 19 with 433 recommendations.

Backlash followed almost immediately, targeting both the commission and its proposals.

Before his remarks, Environment Advisor Syeda Rizwana Hasan urged civil society and the private sector to play a more active role rather than focus solely on the government.

She told them to contact her or the relevant ministry directly, even via WhatsApp if needed, before leaving the event.

Responding to that, Ifthekharuzzaman said even direct appeals to advisors had failed to bring action.

He said women’s rights had suffered a severe reversal over the past 18 months.

Bangladesh, he noted, had fallen far behind the progress that should have been possible.

He linked the situation to political forces as well as other powerful groups resisting equality across religious, cultural and identity lines, adding that expectations of improvement after authoritarian rule had not materialised.