Burqa not to be forced on girl students in Bangladesh

DHAKA - Bangladesh government Wednesday asked the educational institutes in the country not to force Muslim girl students to wear veils or religious attire.

Education Secretary Sayed Ataur Rahman also directed the institute authorities not to restrain women students from participating in sports and cultural activities.

The direction comes after a high court ruling last Sunday which said that it was illegal for any educational institution to force girl students to wear burqa (veil) or bar them from participating in any sports and cultural activities.

The circular also asked the authorities to ensure that the women students are not harassed or punished for not wearing the veil, The Daily Star newspaper said on its website.

The circular said the departments, directorates or education boards under the education ministry will take legal actions against the educational institutions and the management committees if found violating the instructions.

The high court’s ruling came in response to a petition by two lawyers citing a media report that principal of the Rani Bhowani College, Rajshahi, western Bangladesh, had barred Muslim girls from entering college without wearing the veil.

Bangladesh is an Islamic republic with nearly 90 percent of its 168 million citizens practicing Islam.

The high court also ruled against ‘fatwa’, the religious edicts issued by Muslim clerics.

Another report in New Age Wednesday said a court kept standing for the day a group of local clergy who had issued a fatwa convicting a rape victim, while releasing the perpetrator.

The victim and her family members were also caned 50 times as part of the punishment.

The fatwa was “not legal” and the clergy could not take the law into their hands, the judges said.