Bangladesh Has Directives On Sarees, Dupattas And Bindis

DHAKA- Several women’s rights activists, academics, artists, and civil society members in Bangladesh have expressed concern over a dress code directive issued by state-owned broadcaster Bangladesh Betar for female news presenters.

The directive instructed female presenters to wear sarees or salwar-kameez with dupattas, discouraged the use of “large bindis,” and advised against draping the dupatta on one side, according to local media reports.

In an open letter to Bangladesh Information and Broadcasting Minister Zahir Uddin Swapan, the signatories said that while they welcomed the withdrawal of the May 4 directive, merely cancelling it was not enough. They argued that the mindset behind such instructions required closer scrutiny.

Calling the directive culturally insensitive, the signatories said it undermined women’s dignity and was inconsistent with constitutional principles of equality, individual freedom, and cultural diversity.

They also stressed that such restrictions perpetuate harmful social norms, discriminatory behavior, and controlling attitudes toward women in professional settings, according to the Bangladeshi daily Dhaka Tribune.

The group called for accountability for those responsible for drafting and issuing the directive and urged authorities to adopt inclusive, respectful, and non-discriminatory workplace policies in the future. (IANS)