HRW concerns that 30 out of 51 political parties in Bangladesh do not have any female candidates

POBNEWS24, Dhaka, Jan 16, 2026 : The international human rights organization Human Rights Watch (HRW) has said that attacks on women, children, and religious minorities in Bangladesh have increased alarmingly since the monsoon revolution of 2024.
A report written by Shuvijat Saha, senior coordinator of the organization’s women’s rights division, said that the situation has deteriorated further ahead of the general elections to be held on February 12, which highlights the country’s interim government’s failure to protect human rights.
The report, published on the HRW website on January 14, cited police data and said that gender-based violence increased significantly in the first six months of 2025 compared to the same period the previous year.
The report blamed the incitement and rhetoric of religious groups for the increase in violence. The president of the Bangladesh Mahila Parishad, Fawzia Moslem, was quoted as saying that these groups are trying to limit women’s free movement and social participation.
In May 2025, hardline religious groups protested against the interim government’s efforts to promote gender equality and women’s rights with anti-Islamic tags. Since then, women have been subjected to widespread verbal, physical, and digital harassment. The fear of this violence has reduced women’s ability to express themselves and further silenced them.
The report also clearly shows attacks on minorities and ethnic groups. The beating to death of garment worker Dipu Chandra Das last December on charges of insulting religion is cited as a major example. According to human rights organizations, at least 51 incidents of violence against Hindus have occurred, 10 of which were murders.
In addition, HRW has also noted the continued persecution of ethnic minorities in the hilly areas of Chittagong. The report notes that despite two female prime ministers in the past in Bangladesh and the widespread participation of women in recent movements, they are currently being deprived of political rights.
The HRW report is concerned that 30 out of 51 political parties in the upcoming general elections have no female candidates. In particular, the main Islamist party, Jamaat-e-Islami, has not fielded any female candidates for any of the seats it is contesting.
In such a situation, Human Rights Watch has called on the government to consider the recommendations of the Women’s Reform Commission and increase women’s representation in parliament. Along with this, it has emphasized the need to comply with the obligations of the UN CEDAW Charter and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, as well as to uphold constitutional provisions protecting minorities.