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A number of women professionals, including a college teacher and journalists, have recently faced harassment and obstruction while carrying out their duties or expressing opinions at the hands of Islamist groups in different places of the country, which has created a climate of fear and insecurity in society.

Rights activists have observed that attacks on and harassment of working women have recently emerged as a trend, as female athletes, film celebrities and sex workers have also faced attacks, harassment and obstruction by Islamist groups or mobs under the name of ‘Tawhidi Janata’.

They said that the interim government, which assumed power on August 8, 2024, after the ouster of authoritarian Awami League regime in a mass uprising, failed to take strict action against people involved in such offences.

They also alleged that in some cases the interim government’s responses appeared to favour Islamist parties and groups.

In a recent incident, Nadira Yeasmin, assistant professor of Bangla at Narsingdi Government College, was made an officer on special duty and transferred to Satkhira Government College through an education ministry order on May 26 just a day after Hefazat-e-Islam Bangladesh and other religious groups protested against Hisya (rights), a magazine she edits and publishes, and demanded her removal from the college within 48 hours.

The controversy arose centring articles published in the magazine that reportedly support equal inheritance rights for men and women — a stance some religious groups claim contradicts Islamic inheritance laws — and her Facebook post advocating for the same rights following the submission of a report by the interim government-formed Women’s Affairs Reforms Commission on April 19.

‘They [Islamists groups] carried out a smear campaign in social media groups starting February this year after the magazine was published, but the campaign intensified for the past one month following the Facebook post,’ said Nadira, also a women’s rights activist involved with an online platform named ‘Nari Angan’.

Alleging that the police took no action despite her repeated verbal complaints, the teacher said, ‘Instead, the government moved to transfer me as per their   [Islamists groups] demand, which only boosted their confidence and they now want my punishment,’ said Nadira.

She alleged that several other women associated with ‘Nari Angan’ were also facing threats from Islamist groups.

On May 27, a group of students of Satkhira Government College reportedly submitted a memorandum to the college principal and the Satkhira deputy commissioner, demanding that Nadira not be allowed to join as a teacher at the college and that legal action be taken after investigating the allegations against her.

Nadira said, ‘Islamist groups might have instigated the students to submit the memorandum. I hope the government will reconsider its decision on my transfer in light of my security concerns.’

In the other incidents, female journalists were prevented from performing their duties by Islamist groups, including at an event attended by religious affairs ministry adviser AFM Khalid Hossain.

Mausuda Laboni, who was barred from covering a Hefazat-e-Islam event, said on May 29, ‘They told me: mothers and sisters are not allowed.’

‘When my male colleagues protested at that and said they wouldn’t cover the event too, they [Hefazat-e-Islam] later claimed that it was a misunderstanding and allowed me to cover the event,’ she said, adding that she had never faced such obstruction before.

Amy Jannat, a reporter from the new agency United News of Bangladesh, expressed her frustration in a Facebook post after she was barred from attending the ‘Online Entrepreneur Qawmi Uddokta’ event attended by the religious affairs adviser, held at the China Friendship International Conference Centre in the capital’s Agargaon on January 29.

The religious affairs ministry later said that the adviser was merely a guest at the event and was not responsible for the actions of the organising authority.

Two women’s football matches could not be held in Dinajpur and Jaipurhat on January 28 in the face of attacks by Islamist groups. The government condemned the incidents on January 30 and the Jaipurhat match took place on February 5.

But, an inter-district girls’ football match could not take place at Taraganj in Rangpur on February 6 amid protests reportedly by the Islami Andolan Bangladesh.

Asha Rani Roy, a goalkeeper of the Dinajpur District Women’s Football Team, told ¶¶Òõ¾«Æ· on May 29 that although they were able to play some matches after the game in Dinajpur was postponed on January 28, many other matches could not take place, including one that was cancelled in May.

The obstruction has created frustration, with some female players, including herself, now considering leaving the game, said 18-year-old Asha, who once dreamed of playing for the national team.

Maleka Banu, general secretary of the Bangladesh Mahila Parishad, said that there were no ‘visible’ actions by the government to address such attacks and harassment. 

Referring to the Nadira’s transfer order, the rights activist said that instead of ensuring the victim’s safety, the government’s response seemed to support those violating women’s rights.

The cancellation of quota for women in jobs would create a major hindrance to women’s empowerment and participation in the job sector, she said, referring to the absence of women quota in government jobs.

Shireen Huq, head of the Women’s Affairs Reform Commission, said that there was an expectation that violence against women would decrease after the uprising, which carried the spirit of anti-discrimination, but that did not happen in reality.

After the report submission, even the members of the Women’s Affairs Reform Commission faced abusive remarks by Hefazat-e-Islam which later expressed regret for the remarks after it was served a legal notice in this connection.

Actors Mehazabien Chowdhury, Pori Moni and Apu Biswas were barred from attending events in Chattogram, Tangail and Kamrangirchar of Dhaka respectively. Girls were attacked creating mobs for smoking in public, and even the Bangla Academy shut down two stalls at the Ekushey Book Fair-2025 held in February over offering reproductive healthcare products, following protests by Islamists groups. Many sex workers were attacked across the country.  

Women and children affairs ministry adviser Sharmeen S Murshid could not be reached for comments.

Contacted, the adviser’s private secretary, Tareque Mohammad Zakaria, on May 29 asked for sending queries and said that he would respond after talking to the adviser over the queries.

He, however, did not respond to the queries till Saturday.