The independent member of parliament from Bogura-7, Md. Rezaul Karim Bablu, has remarked in parliament that feminists are responsible for the increasing number of rapes all over the country. At the same time, he also agreed with the former chief of Hefazat-e-Islam Shah Ahmad Shafi and compared women to tamarinds. Ain o Salish Kendra (ASK) expresses protest against his remarks and urges him to immediately retract his statement and issue an apology.

According to news reports, the Bogura-7 MP made the remark during a discussion about the Women and Children Repression Prevention (Amended) Bill, 2020 at the parliament. He has also said that in the name of women’s emancipation, feminists are encouraging women to become more independent, which, according to him, is encouraging rapists. He further added that the former chief of Hefazat-e-Islam’s “tamarind theory” may be applicable in such incidents. According to MP Rezaul Karim, if the “tamarind theory” is applied rapists will be discouraged from raping women and become more religious-minded.

This statement by Rezaul Karim is an extreme manifestation of the patriarchal mentality. ASK believes that such statements are contrary to our Constitution, existing laws and policies, the government’s priorities, international human rights commitments and the Sustainable Development Goals. Such a remark by an MP while standing in parliament, where the Prime Minister, the Speaker of the parliament and the opposition leader are all women, is completely unacceptable. ASK strongly protests against his remark.