A solidarity rally was held on Saturday at Altab Ali Park in London in support of Friday’s Moitree Jatra organised by women in Bangladesh's capital Dhaka.
The declaration at the rally stated that the student-led mass uprising in Bangladesh in July in the past year was a protest against inequality.
However, in the aftermath of the uprising, violence and discrimination against women have increased, according to a press release.
It stated that following the publication of a recent report by the Women’s Affairs Reform Commission, certain religious fanatic groups have called for its withdrawal, opposed women’s equal rights, and made derogatory remarks about women.
The rally called for equal rights for women in all spheres of life, asserting that gender equality between men and women is a matter of justice.
The speakers said that equal inheritance is fair, and daughters are entitled to an equal share. Current family inheritance laws are discriminatory. All forms of discrimination — whether based on gender, ethnicity, religion, or class — are unacceptable.
The rally also demanded equal pay for equal work, said the release.
The solidarity meeting was presided over by Harun Rashid, president of the Bangladesh Workers Council, and conducted by Shahana Akhter.
Selina Safi, Rahima Khatun Juli, Ayesha Siddiqua, Sultana Rashid Joly, Shefali Begum Shefa of Bangladesh Workers Council, Councillor Sirajul Islam, leader of the Tower Hamlets Labour Party Group; Hugo Pierre, Socialist Party of England; Azfar Shafi, from Nijor Manush; and Ankita Sarkar, Student Federation of India - UK Chapter; among others, spoke at the event.
