Women's rights is recognised in Islam and we should study the religion in depth to sincerely understand such issues as women's rights. Prof Muzaffer Ahmed, chairman of Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) said yesterday while speaking about the National Women's Development Policy (NWDP) 2008.

Addressing a roundtable discussion at the National Press Club organised by CAMPE and Women for Women, Prof Muzaffer also said that the present government remains in a fix on the issue of NWDP and a vested quarter is making use of this confusion.

Other speakers at the discussion said a certain religious fundamentalist group has been trying to foil the policy using religion as an excuse. But there is nothing in the policy that goes against Islam or our constitution, theypointed out

Speakers said that if the government accepts the recommendations made by the review body, then the nation would suffer a great setback.

Other speakers said that a certain quarter of the government is trying to divert the people's atten-

tion from burning issues as the government's failure to control price hike of food, electricity and gas with the women's policy.

Barrister Rabeya Bhuiyan said questioned how the policy would ensure the rights of women from other religions in the country if it was made only in the light of the Quran and Sunnah. Such an action would only fuel commonalism, she added.

While reading out the keynote paper, Jahanara Haque said the NWDP 2008 is consistent with the constitution, CEDAW document and has been prepared in the light of Millennium Development Goal (MDG) to achieve the overall national development.

"And yet issues like equal inheritance, guidelines to resist violence against women, or guidelines to prepare women as skilled human resources are absent in the policy,’ she pointed out

Maleka Begum, a women's rights activist, said that it was difficult to expect implementation of the policy by those who ally with religion-based parties.

“Political commitment is important in implementation of the policy,” journalist Manjurul Ahsan Bulbul said.

Ayesha Khanam, President of Bangladesh Mahila Parishad said, "The policy not a religious issue but a development one."

The government should declare an action plan for implementation of the policy, she said

Among others Farida Akhter of Ubinig. Ferdous Ara. Prof Sadeka Halim, Advocate Rahmat Ali. former education minister Shahidul Islam. Director of CAMPE Azizul Haque, Rowshan Jahan and Nilufer Banu of Women for women were also present.