Mahmudur Rahman, editor of the newspaper Amar Desh, has strongly criticized the interim government for forming a Women’s Reform Commission, stating that “no one died in the July Revolution for such a commission.”

Speaking at a massive rally organized by Hefazat-e-Islam Bangladesh at Suhrawardy Udyan in the capital on Saturday, Rahman said, “Hefazat-e-Islam has raised serious concerns about feminism. I want to ask Dr. Yunus and the interim government—why are you raising irrelevant issues? The martyrs of the July Revolution did not sacrifice their lives for a women’s reform commission.”

“They gave their lives to free Bangladesh from fascism and foreign domination. You are now in power not to rewrite social structures unnecessarily, but to prevent the return of fascism and free the nation from Indian aggression.”

The Hefazat rally was organized to push four key demands, including the cancellation of the Women’s Reform Commission and its report. Other demands included rejecting constitutional pluralism in favor of complete faith in Allah, withdrawing all cases against Hefazat activists, and ensuring justice for alleged mass killings, including the 2013 Shapla Chattar incident.

Mahmudur further urged the interim authorities not to waste time and resources on what he called “unneeded reform commissions.”

“We've seen too many of these commissions that serve no real purpose. Instead of wasting public funds, the government should focus on reforms that truly safeguard democracy and sovereignty,” he said.

Call for Unity Against Imperialism
Rahman warned Hefazat not to lose sight of the larger movement against “Indian imperialism and for the protection of Islam.”

“Feminism must not distract you from the greater cause. Our fight is for Islam and against the imperialist forces. If the Islamic scholars in Bangladesh remain united, no one will be able to snatch our freedom.”

Reference to Past Events
Rahman, who returned to Bangladesh on September 27, 2024, after five and a half years in exile, also referenced the 2013 Shapla Chattar crackdown.

“For the first time since the Shapla massacre, we are able to organize a program like this freely. I am here to pay my respects to the martyrs of Shapla Chattar and the July Revolution.”

In August 2024, Bangladesh Peoples Party (BPP) chairman Babul Sardar Chakari filed a case against former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and 33 others over the 2013 crackdown. The International Crimes Tribunal has since issued arrest warrants against five individuals, including Hasina.

Mahmudur questioned why Hefazat had not taken legal action earlier.

“I am shocked that Hefazat hasn’t yet filed a case against the fascist Hasina for the 2013 killings. I urge you to do so immediately on behalf of those who lost their lives.”

Background on Hefazat-e-Islam
Hefazat-e-Islam was founded in 2010 to oppose the Women’s Development Policy and the Education Policy. It gained national prominence during the 2013 Shahbagh counter-movement, where it demanded the punishment of bloggers accused of blasphemy.

The organization’s rally on May 5, 2013, in Motijheel ended in a violent crackdown. Human rights group Odhikar claimed that 61 people were killed, though police reported only 11 deaths and denied any casualties in the nighttime operation.