Zaima Rahman, daughter of BNP Chairman Tarique Rahman, spoke at a discussion in an auditorium in the capital today. Photo: BSS

DHAKA, Feb 8, 2026 (BSS) - Zaima Rahman, daughter of Bangladesh Nationalist 
Party (BNP) Chairman Tarique Rahman, today said political parties should play 
a key role in advancing women in politics.

She said it is easy for men to take a position in Bangladeshi politics, but 
difficult for women, and that is why political parties need to play a big 
role in putting women forward in politics.

Zaima, also the granddaughter of former Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia, 
made the remarks while speaking at a discussion at an auditorium in the 
capital. 

The meeting titled 'Women in the Struggle for Democracy: Contribution and 
Future Bangladesh' was organised by Women in Democracy (WIND).

Zaima Rahman said every political party should have a code of conduct to 
ensure the safety of women who are active in politics.

"If anything happens to a woman leader or student leader in terms of safety, 
then the parties will protect the woman through the legal code of conduct. 
That means if something happens to a woman, the party will take 
responsibility to protect her and stand by her," she said.

Zaima Rahman, who studied law in London, returned to the country after 17 
years and has already involved in active politics by participating in the 
election campaign for her father Tarique Rahman in the upcoming nation 
elections.

She said political parties should provide support and training opportunities 
for women so that they can come forward towards politics. "All parties should 
take this responsibility."

Stressing the need for providing financial support to women in politics, she 
said women should be given an opportunity to contest in parliamentary or 
local government polls.

She also commented that it is necessary to change the society's attitude 
towards women leaders.

Participating in the discussion, ActionAid Bangladesh country director Farah 
Kabir highlighted the trend of trying to remove women from leadership 
positions, focusing on the upcoming 13th national elections.

"For so long, women have been in leadership positions in various places, but 
in the last 18 months, I have felt anew, will all these women go back now? 
This is how they are being pushed towards divide and rule," she said.

So, she said, the people of the country will have to decide in the February 
12 elections what kind of leadership they want.

Highlighting the need for a shift in the country's political culture, Farah 
Kabir said women are often discouraged from leadership because politics is 
labeled as "dirty." She stressed that this mindset has to change and urged 
women to step up and take part in politics to help transform the culture.

Barrister Sara Hossain said although there was a promise to eliminate 
discrimination in the July Charter and the referendum, it was not made clear 
how this promise would be strengthened.

Lawyer Sarwat Siraj Shukla said in the last 18 months, women have come 
forward in one game and it is the game of self-defense. "Currently, slut-
shaming and harassment of women online and offline has increased much more 
than before," she said. 

Labour leader Kalpana Akhtar said, "We want whoever wins the election to be 
respectful of women. Because, every time there is an attempt to push women 
back, women will fight back. If we take two steps back, we will take four 
steps forward."

Freedom fighter Lutfa Hasan Rozy said the environment needed for equal rights 
is still not there in Bangladeshi society. Women will have to come forward 
the most to build this democratic culture in society, she said.

Umama Fatima, former central coordinator of the anti-discrimination student 
movement, said the women who came forward in the mass uprising were excluded 
after August 5. Various political parties are now also confronting women in 
different ways, she said, calling upon all to take initiatives to stop the 
cyberbullying against women.
 
Professor Mirza Taslima of Jahangirnagar University, Dhaka-12 parliamentary 
candidate Taslima Akhter, Professor Nahrin Islam Khan of Jahangirnagar 
University, Professor Shamima Sultana of Jahangirnagar University, journalist 
Zayma Islam, DUCSU executive member Hema Chakma, DUCSU Research and 
Publications Secretary Sanjida Ahmed Tonni, among others, also spoke at the 
discussion hosted by TV presenter Kazi Jessin.