Guard of Honour to FFs: When will their mindset change?

Awami League lawmaker Meher Afroz yesterday in parliament joined the ongoing protest against a parliamentary body's recommendation to exclude female UNOs in giving the guard of honour to freedom fighters after their death.

In the discussion on the proposed budget for 2021-22, Meher Afroz, chief of the parliamentary standing committee on the women and child affairs ministry, said she couldn't even imagine how a parliamentary watchdog, in this case, the Liberation War Affairs ministry, could come up with such a recommendation.

Besides, Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal MP Shirin Akhter yesterday in parliament also raised the issue and demanded intervention of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to prevent the implementation of the recommendation.

Mehar Afroz said those who are making such recommendations might come up with another recommendation saying that the guard of honour will not be given to female war heroes.

"Why is the mentality of some people not changing? When will it change? We will have to be tougher in this regard."

Leader of the House and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was present in parliament at the time.

Shirin Akhter, also general secretary of JSD, speaking on a point of order, said, "I am surprised, shocked and upset that my colleagues have made such recommendations. The constitution says there can be no discriminations between men and women. We are stunned..."

The parliamentary standing committee on Liberation War Affairs ministry on June 13 recommended taking necessary measures to find alternatives to a female upazila nirbahi officer's presence during the guard of honour given to valiant freedom fighters after their deaths.

The committee said usually women do not take part in namaz-e-janaza. Therefore, in case of giving the guard of honour to a freedom fighter, it is necessary to give the charge to a male officer if the UNO is a female.

The committee's recommendations touched off huge criticism saying such suggestion is breaching of the country's constitution and law, which stipulates equal rights for men and women.

Speaking on this issue, Shirin argued that a namaz-e-janaza and guard of honour are not the same.

WRIT PETITION

A writ petition was filed with the High Court on Monday challenging the legality of a parliamentary standing committee's recommendation for the exclusion of female UNOs in giving the guard of honour to freedom fighters after death.

Rights organisation Foundation for Law and Development (FLAD) submitted the writ petition as a public interest litigation, seeking a stay on the parliamentary committee's recommendations. 

Yesterday, the HC bench of Justice Md Mozibur Rahman Miah and Justice Md Kamrul Hossain Mollah adjourned the hearing on the writ petition for four weeks.

The bench passed the adjournment order as the authorities concerned of the government are yet to issue any notification for making the recommendation functional, petitioner's lawyer Fawzia Karim Firoze told The Daily Star.

Citing the petition, she said the recommendation made by the parliamentary body is a violation of articles 27 and 28 of the constitution and the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW).

Article 27 says, "All citizens are equal before law and are entitled to equal protection of law."