‘Defending Islam and women's honour against NGOs’ in Bangladesh

Abstract

Synopsis Women's participation in development activities emerged as a central focus of attacks on NGOs by some Islamist groups in Bangladesh in the early part of the 1990s because of two factors—one, the increasing prominence of religious discourse in sociopolitical life in Bangladesh, and two, attempts by different groups and institutions to gain or retain patriarchal control over women. The religious groups that opposed NGO activities in general and women's participation in NGO programs in particular, claimed to be defending Islam and women's honour. However, deeply rooted patriarchal values and notions held by all classes of men made it easy for the ‘Islamist’ opponents of NGOs to bring the issue of women's participation in development activities in the forefront. Alongside, the changing power relations in rural society as well as increasing prominence of Islamic discourse in national political life were also important factors. However, the women themselves did not simply respond to events as passive victims. Rather, within limits, they questioned the motives of those concerned about their ‘honour’, and in some cases, actively resisted the pressure mounted by the anti-NGO forces.