On 07 March, 2011, Sheikh Hasina, the Bangladeshi version of Colonel Gaddafi, in person has approved a policy whereby she amends the Book of Allah swt (Na'uzubillah). The title of the policy is known as ‘National Women Development Policy 2011' which she approved at a weekly cabinet meeting a day before the International Women's Day. The policy is the revival of 1997 Women Development Policy, which was formulated during the previous tenure of her party. The National Women Development Policy adopted in 1997 stipulated equal rights for women to inheritance of property and land contradicting the inheritance rules of Islam. Regarding the policy, prime minister's press secretary Abul Kalam Azad said in a press briefing ‘The cabinet has approved draft Women Development Policy 2011 with provisions for ensuring equal rights for women in every sphere. This will help empower women in decision-making and ensure protection for them,' ‘The women should be given equal opportunity to property, employment, market and business,' reads one the clauses of the policy which was also supplemented by another clause that advocated their economic empowerment. Moreover, Shirin Sharmin, the state minister for women and children has said that they would draw a national action plan based on this policy which says, "Provide women with full control over their right to land, earned property, health, education, training, information, inheritance, credit, technology and opportunity to earn... And enact necessary new laws to put these rights into practice." Earlier the caretaker government of 2007-2008 had announced in 2008 the Women Development Policy legalizing women's equal rights, including property rights, but finally stopped to implement the policy with strong opposition from ulama and Islamic political parties including Hizb ut-Tahrir.  

The step that this government has taken in the name of empowering women and providing justice to women by amending the rule of Allah (swt) decreed in Surah Baqarah, Surah Nisa and others, is nothing but sheer deception, lie and ignorance. If we take a look to the record of the immense nature of brutality, oppression and subjugation of women under this government or the previous ones be it under secular democratic governments, caretaker, autocratic or dictatorial governments of the past it shows how this man made western secular systems have systematically oppressed women, deprived them from education, honor and dignity. Sheikh Hasina's government knows it fully well that, it is her government which has produced serial rapists. According to press reports, BCL (the students wing of Awami League) activists in many universities and institutions have notoriously established torture cells and rape houses. In many cases, they record the violent rape scenes, make CDs and sell them in local video shops. It is worth mentioning that last time when Awami League was in power (1996-2001), in 1998 one notorious cadre of BCL named Jasimuddin Manik openly celebrated his ‘rape century' by distributing sweets in university campus as he completed raping 100 girls at Jahangirnagar University, second most prestigious university in Bangladesh after the university of Dhaka drawing huge media coverage! Though serious resentment and curse roared the country at that time, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina government remained mum and the criminal did not face any exemplary punishment. Moreover the then Sheikh Hasina's government has arranged a scholarship for this rapist to Australia to have his higher education! This is Hasina's record in women empowermentt. Moreover Sheikh Hasina who wishes to empower women by amending the law of Allah swt, is indeed very nonsensical! How can she reply to this that she herself has ratified a law where prostitution has been legalized as a profession in Bangladesh? Is this how she is going to empower women at the order of her imperialist master, UNHCR? Is this how she fulfills her election manifesto of providing economic opportunities to women? Is this is how she is going to make women respected in the society? Sheikh Hasina must know that today during the rule of capitalism at least 60 million girls who would otherwise be expected to be alive are "missing" from various populations, mostly in Asia, as a result of sex-selective abortions, infanticide or neglect. Does Hasina know that globally, at least one in three women and girls is beaten or sexually abused in her lifetime under secular capitalism? (UN Commission on the Status of Women, 2/28/00)

Indeed in following the command of the westerners, the government of Hasina is playing dangerously with the belief of 160 million Muslims in Bangladesh. Sheikh Hasina indeed will be personally responsible for her action which she is undertaking to please her masters USA and UK while angering the Lord of the universe, Allah swt. Surely her action in developing a women policy in contradiction to the law of Allah swt will do no good to the muslimah in Bangladesh except increasing family discomfort and more violence against women. It is only under the system of Islamic Khilafah "Caliphate" that women and man will truly be liberated from any kind of oppression and injustice that humanity is suffering today.

Jafar Muhammad Abu Abdullah

Dhaka