Bangladesh

Thousands of members of an Islamist group protested proposed gender equality reforms in Bangladesh over the weekend.

It comes after the Bangladeshi Women’s Affairs Reform Commission proposed giving women more rights over property and inheritances, and decriminalising sex work.

The Commission also proposed banning polygamy — when one person has multiple spouses.

The Bangladesh Nationalist Party strongly disagreed with the Constitutional Reform Commission on its proposal for a quota of 10 per cent parliamentary seats for young candidates.

The Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami rather preferred emphasis on nominating young candidates but disagreed to the proposed quota.

Bangladesh’s Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has reportedly resigned and fled the country in the face of ongoing protests.

The longtime leader of the country has boarded a military helicopter, an aide told Al Jazeera, after crowds ignored a national curfew to storm the prime minister’s palace in Dhaka.

The landscape of women leadership in Bangladesh presents a paradox: despite notable female figures in key political positions, the overarching advancement of women into leadership roles remains stagnant. Despite having a female prime minister, a female speaker, women ministers and lawmakers and women heading the major political parties, the desired progress towards gender parity in leadership is yet to be achieved.