Amidst intense criticism and howls of protest, a parliamentary committee has scrapped its recommendation to bar female officials from giving the guard of honour to freedom fighters when they die.
The parliamentary standing committee on Liberation War affairs ministry on Sunday dropped the proposal from the minutes of the meeting of Jun 13 when the proposal was placed.
When 1971 war veterans die, they are honoured by the district or Upazila authorities on behalf of the state.
Government officials, such as deputy commissioners or Upazila executive officers or UNOs, place flowers on the coffin as per the state honour rules.
Many women now head the administrations in many districts and Upazilas as DCs and UNOs, reports bdnews24.com.
Many raise questions when a female UNO goes to give the guard of honour because women are not allowed to attend funeral prayers, the committee’s Chairman Shahjahan Khan had argued.
Rights groups and netizens condemned the proposal, saying doing so will only encourage religious fundamentalism. Some MPs also joined the condemnation of the proposal, calling for Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s intervention to stop the move.
Later, Cabinet Secretary Khandker Anwarul Islam said the government would thoroughly look into the issue.
“A member of the committee raised the issue for discussion. The minutes of the meeting have been approved today (Sunday). We’ve (dropped) that (proposal),” Shahjahan said.
