Information and Broadcasting Adviser Md. Mahfuj Alam. File Photo

DHAKA, Nov 15, 2025 (BSS) – Information and Broadcasting Adviser Md Mahfuj Alam today said women’s participation has expanded across multiple platforms following the July Uprising.

“Women have not disappeared. Many are pursuing higher studies abroad and many will return through academia to contribute to politics,” he said.

He made the remarks while speaking at a programme titled “Women in Democracy Building: What Have We Got,” organized by Women in Democracy at the Bangladesh Institute of International and Strategic Studies (BIISS) Auditorium in the capital.

Mahfuj Alam expressed optimism that women will be more engaged in mainstream politics over the next five years.

He said no policy can be effectively implemented without a change in the political settlement of Bangladesh.

Speaking on women’s empowerment, the adviser noted that the intersection of religion, tradition, legal norms, and modernity in Bangladeshi society is highly complex. Understanding this complexity is essential to advancing social compromise, he added.

He said the journey of women in Bangladesh spans 150 years and without comprehending that history, it is difficult to address women-related challenges.

Mahfuj Alam stressed that policy implementation cannot be done by the government alone. Political parties, institutions, and civil society groups must actively participate.

He also underscored the need to ensure open political space so that women can play a role in policy formulation and execution.

Nagorik Oikya President Mahmudur Rahman Manna, Professor Dilara Chowdhury, human rights activist and photographer Shahidul Alam, Gana Sanghati Andolan (GSA) Chief Coordinator Jonayed Saki, Khan Foundation Chairman Rokhsana Khan, NCP Senior Joint Convener Samantha Sharmin, Dr. Tasneem Zara, AB Party Joint General Secretary Barrister Nasrin Sultana Mili, political analyst Dr. Zahedur Rahman, Professor Taslima Mirza, Prof Samina Lutfa, Profe Dr. Nahrin I Khan, Mahsina Momtaz Maria and Advocate Fahima Nasrin Munni, among others, also spoke at the event.