00:00They are relentless in their demands.
00:03One by one, in emotionally charged speeches,
00:06they are denouncing reforms that Bangladeshi women say
00:10will finally grant them equal rights.
00:13Hifazate Islami, a coalition of Islamic groups,
00:17wants to disband the Women's Affairs Reform Commission
00:20that has proposed, among many reforms,
00:23women's right to inheritance,
00:25an increase in women's parliamentary representation
00:28and protection of sex workers.
00:31But the religious group sees the proposed changes
00:34as targeting Islamic values.
00:37You are mocking Allah's law.
00:41You have not been given that right.
00:44These women's right contradict the Quran and Hadith directly.
00:49Secondly, this is a conspiracy to destroy the long-standing family
00:54and social bonds rooted in Bangladesh's traditions, culture and civilisations.
01:03Women's rights activists say the proposed reforms are in line
01:07with the Bangladesh Constitution's fundamental principles
01:10of democracy and secularism.
01:13And the women are not backing down.
01:16At this protest, they claim the Women's Rights Commission
01:20and its proposed reforms are being unfairly targeted.
01:25We will not hand this country over to fundamentalists.
01:31The people of Bangladesh are religious.
01:35But the so-called religious extremists are playing politics
01:38in the name of religion.
01:42And the main instigating issue of this politics is women.
01:48The government says the opposition to reforms is politically motivated
01:52and the state is open for dialogue.
01:56This human cry was much more political because of the fact that we had,
02:05you know, a regime was thrown out before the interim government took over.
02:11So there are those who turn everything into a political issue
02:17to destabilise the country, to create chaos.
02:20Bangladesh's constitution is secular.
02:23But for decades, Islamists in the Muslim majority country
02:26have tried to influence social and political affairs.
02:30These women say they are determined to not bow down to attacks on their rights.
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