Power through women’s votes, bans under women’s leadership—what kind of democracy is this?

By ABM Zakirul Haque Titon

In the history of Bangladesh’s national parliamentary elections, women voters have consistently played a pivotal role. According to the latest data from the Election Commission, nearly half of all registered voters in the most recent election were women, with some constituencies even showing a higher number of female voters than male. Despite this undeniable presence, a strikingly disproportionate reality persists: of the 51 registered political parties contesting the election, 30 failed to nominate a single female candidate. This stark statistic exposes a deep-rooted and shameful structural bias within Bangladeshi politics.

The Silence of the Islamist Parties

The most alarming pattern emerges among the country’s Islamist parties, which display a quiet but unmistakable consensus in excluding women from candidacy.

This is no mere coincidence. It represents a deliberate, structural political choice that denies women their constitutional right to participate in state governance.

Constitutional Contradictions

Articles 27 and 28 of the Bangladeshi Constitution guarantee equality of rights and opportunities between men and women. Reserved seats for women in parliament exist precisely because political empowerment is essential for women’s broader societal empowerment. Yet, by failing to field any female candidates, these parties effectively proclaim that women are unfit for leadership. This stance not only contradicts constitutional principles but undermines the very foundation of democracy, which is predicated on representation. When half of the population is systematically excluded from positions of power, democracy itself becomes incomplete.

Religious Justifications or Political Pretext?

Much of this gendered exclusion is justified under the guise of religion, a rationale that both distorts reality and intensifies inequality. Historically, women have played vital roles in education, business, social reform, and administration in Muslim societies. Islam recognises women as full citizens with rights and responsibilities; there is no religious injunction preventing them from holding leadership positions. The reality, therefore, is not religious but patriarchal—a conscious effort to maintain male dominance under the cover of tradition.

A Dangerous Dichotomy

The message from these parties is both explicit and troubling: women’s votes are needed, but women’s leadership is unacceptable. Women are welcome at the ballot box, but not at the decision-making table. This represents a regressive step in women’s political rights and signals a worrying trajectory for Bangladesh’s democratic future.

Social Concerns and Political Consequences

This exclusion has caused anxiety among working women, entrepreneurs, farmers, garment workers, and professionals. Their legitimate fear is that political forces unwilling to accept female leadership may also jeopardise women’s employment, education, independence, and civic rights once in power.

In effect, the absence of female candidates reveals the blueprint of a future governance model where women are passive observers rather than active policymakers. The unspoken alliance among Islamist parties normalising women’s exclusion jeopardises not only women’s rights but the democratic fabric of Bangladesh itself. Challenging this entrenched inequality is no longer merely a question of gender justice—it is a defence of the constitution, democracy, and the nation’s future.