Oxfam in Bangladesh has expressed deep concern over a recent wave of disinformation, misogynistic rhetoric, and targeted attacks on women and feminist voices, calling it a serious threat to the country’s progress on gender justice.
In a strongly worded statement issued on Saturday, the organisation said the current public climate is not a democratic debate but a “backlash” marked by derogatory language, public shaming, and intimidation against those advocating for women’s rights.
“What we are witnessing is not a debate—it is a backlash,” Oxfam said. “Silence is not neutrality; it is a form of complicity.”
The group emphasised that silence in the face of growing intolerance and injustice emboldens fear and misinformation, especially harming those already most at risk. It urged all stakeholders—government, civil society, and media—to stand firmly in defense of equality and freedom.
Oxfam reiterated that the Constitution of Bangladesh guarantees equality, dignity, and freedom of expression for all citizens. It also pointed to Bangladesh’s international commitments under the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which obligate the state to combat discrimination and empower women.
“These promises cannot be fulfilled if hate speech, misinformation, and intimidation continue unchecked,” the statement warned.
Calling for a respectful and fact-based public discourse, Oxfam urged the protection of those facing threats and reaffirmed that “women’s rights are not up for negotiation.”
“Liberation must be feminist—or it is not liberation at all,” it concluded.