The New Nation - Internet Edition

Staff Reporter

Justice Abdur Rouf told in a roundtable yesterday that women's development in Bangladesh would not be possible by blindly following western concepts of man and family.

He said that the western world that over time lost family values was now running back to those realising their importance.

He was presiding over the roundtable "The Woman Development Policy in the Islami Perspective" organised by the Bangladesh Sachetan Nagarik Samaj at the National Press Club.

Adviser to BNP chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia Brig Gen (Retd) ASM Hannan Shah was the chief guest at the function also addressed by Mostafa Kamal Majumder, Editor of The New Nation, Moulana Zainul Abedin, Advocate Saifur Rahman, former MP Khandakar Mesbahuddin, Helen Jerin Khan, Nazimuddin Alam, SM Rasheduzzaman, Advocate Mashiul Alam, Sultana Razia of Buet and Kaniz Fatima of Darul Ihsan University.

Hannan Shah alleged, NGOs made the Government to frame the national women's policy.

He said, "We should ask for as much rights as Islam has permitted the Muslims."

Hannan Shah said there were a lot of misconceptions about Islam in the west.

Referring to western countries he said, "When they drop bombs in a foreign country that is not considered a terrorist act, but when Muslim devotees gather to protest at the Baitul Mukarram mosque to protest wrong things they call it terrorism."

Mostafa Kamal Majumder said that Islam ensured women's right to inheritance of property more than other religions and urged the framers of the policy to revise the mistakes.

"We should stop this uncalled for debate as no one opposed women's development," he said and added the people, who made the policy, did not have the social perspectives in mind.

Sultana Razia and Kaniz Fatima said that the policy was framed hastily without paying attention to the guidelines given through the Quran and the Sunnah criticisms of the same also are marked by extreme reaction to things that are not prohibited in Islam.

They said there was nothing wrong in using also the name of the mother for the identification of a person. Similarly Islam is not opposed to equality of man and woman. In respect of inheritance of property Islam Provided for the most equitable distribution making women to gain more than men. They, however called for implementing women's right of inheritance of parents property.