As the election heat rises, political language is becoming more and more double-faced. On one side, there are promises of morality and idealism. On the other, there is open use of aggressive and insulting language. A recent example from Jamaat-e-Islami clearly shows this contradiction. It raises serious questions about women’s dignity and political culture.
On one hand, at a public rally at Altafunnesa Playground in Bogura, Jamaat Ameer Shafiqur Rahman said, “Women are like our mothers; their highest dignity and security will be ensured.”
On the other hand, Mohammad Shamim Ahsan, assistant secretary general of the party’s Barguna district unit, called the Dhaka University Central Students’ Union (Ducsu) a “brothel” at his public meeting.
Are these opposite statements from leaders of the same party only personal opinions? Or do they reveal a deep crisis in their political culture?
Women’s rights activists see such statements as a serious warning for the future. Referring to the Barguna incident, Jinat Ara Haque, executive coordinator of the women’s rights organisation “We Can”, told TIMES, “Using insulting and degrading language against women during election campaigns is not just a decline in political decency. It also gives social approval to violence and hatred against women.”
She said such attitudes existed before, but there was visible resistance in public and policy spaces. Now, as these statements are made openly and repeatedly, there is fear that this language will become “normal”. That would be a dangerous reality for women.
Jinat Ara also pointed to another troubling side of electoral politics. She said political parties are deliberately using existing misogyny to please male voters. Insulting language is being used against educated, questioning, and protesting women. She compared this trend to vulgar and degrading talk about women in religious sermons. That same tone is now entering political campaigns.
According to the latest data from the Election Commission, there are 6,28,79,042 female voters in the upcoming 13th national parliamentary election. The total number of voters is 12,76,95,183. That means women make up nearly 49 percent of all voters. In this reality, insulting comments about women are not attacks on a group or a symbol. They directly insult the dignity of more than six crore citizens.
In these contexts, expressing concern Dhaka University teacher Shehrin Amin Bhuiyan (Monami) told TIMES, “In this election, the ‘women issue’ is being used very consciously as a political weapon.” Instead of empowering women, their dignity and political position are being put at risk to attack opponents.
Referring to Shamim Ahsan’s viral statement on social media, she said, “When the top leadership talks about respecting women, such public insults by a party candidate clearly contradict that position.” She added that more restraint and sensitivity are expected from a responsible political figure. She also warned that democracy itself becomes weak if women’s dignity, safety, and political participation are not ensured.
After the controversy, Mohammad Shamim Ahsan confirmed TIMES that he withdrew his statement due to organizational pressure. He also apologised and expressed regret. However, according to Shehrin Amin Bhuiyan, apology alone is not enough to build a positive political image. The real test is responsible language and behavior in the future.
Critics say that if the statement were truly wrong in principle, there would have been spontaneous remorse. An apology under pressure shows that the problem is not just the individual. It reflects an organizational culture where such language feels acceptable at first and is withdrawn only when the situation demands it. This makes Jamaat-e-Islami’s position on women even more questionable.
It should be noted that under the “July National Charter 2025,” prepared by the National Consensus Commission, political parties were encouraged to nominate at least 5 percent women candidates in this election. Whereas Jamaat-e-Islami did not nominate a single woman candidate. Party Secretary General Mia Golam Parwar said this was due to disagreement on policy issues.
Taken together, these two opposite statements raise the same basic question again. In the upcoming parliamentary election, will respect for women remain only an election slogan? Or will it be reflected in real political practice, language, and behavior? Otherwise, between calling women “mothers” and hurling words like “brothel,” women’s position will remain unclear, unsafe, and deeply insulted.
