Bangladeshi High Court Questions the Discrimination Against Women

10-03-2022

Priya Katare

Bangladesh and Human Rights Researcher 

Global Human Rights Defence

As the world observed international women’s day on March 8th, the High court of Bangladesh took an initiative for betterment of women in Bangladesh. The HC issued a Suo moto rule questioning the discrimination against women in social status, jobs, and inheritance.¹ Since 2009, Bangladesh has been ruled by a female prime minister.² However, the country still lacks in providing adequate and necessary provisions for women empowerment in terms of jobs, social status, and inheritance. The government has been playing inactive in dispensing their duties for the upliftment of women. There are multiple aspects which affect women’s participation in jobs and rights of inheritance which further develops their social reliability and status. 

Bangladesh follows the shari'ah law of inheritance, which highly favours men in matters of acquiring and maintaining property. Shari’ah rule of law essentially discriminates and provides little to no inheritance rights over land and property to women. The government of Bangladesh recognized the issue and in the spirit of bringing in equality in the concerned matter, a revision of laws were proposed in 2008, leading to mass strikes and protests across the country.³ The issue is now being raised again in the court of law, observing equality as the primary ground to amend existing unjust laws. 

Questions raised by the High Court are inter-related to the social dynamic. The idea that a woman worthy of a job is by default would be capable of maintaining assets needs to be realized by law and incorporated as legislation. Laws of Bangladesh do not also recognize the cruciality of reservation for women in corporate sectors. The questions raised by the HC to the Cabinet Division secretary and secretaries to the ministries of Law, Women and Children affairs, and Religious affairs (who are made respondents) will hopefully turn things into the right and progressive road.

Sources and Further Reading:

¹ Daily Star. HC questions discriminations against women. (2022, March 9). The Daily Star. Link   

² Adam, Z. Sheikh Hasina Wazed. Encyclopaedia Britannica. Link

³ Supti, A. (2020). Women's right of inheritance in Bangladesh- a comparison between the inheritance right of women in Bangladesh and the UK. ResearchGate. Link