On August 2, 2026, at 3:30 PM, a meeting with members of the Citizens’ Initiative for CEDAW Bangladesh (CIC-BD) platform was held at the Anwara Begum Munira Khan Auditorium of the Bangladesh Mahila Parishad’s central office in Dhaka. The meeting was chaired by Dr. Fauzia Moslem, President of Bangladesh Mahila Parishad. Welcome remarks were delivered by Maleka Banu, General Secretary.
Gender expert Ferdoushi Sultana Begum presented observations on the Bangladesh Government’s CEDAW report for 2025.
During the open discussion, representatives from CIC-BD member organizations who participated included: Zakia K. Hasan, President of Women for Women; Ranjan Karmakar, Executive Directors of Steps Towards Development; and Chandon Lahiri, Project Coordinator; Adv. Salma Ali, Advisor of Bangladesh National Women Lawyers’ Association; Shahnaz Sumi, Director of Bangladesh Nari Progati Sangha; Seuty Sabur, Central Committee Member of Bangladesh Mahila Parishad; Ashrafun Nahar Misti, Executive Director of Women with Disabilities Development Foundation; Sohel Rana, Advocacy Coordinator of SightSavers; Nadira Pervin, Program Manager of Nagorik Uddyog; Kashfia Feroz, Country Lead of Safe Guard Resource and Support Hub; Morium Nessa, Women’s Rights and Gender Equity Program Lead of ActionAid; Nishat Tasnim, Program Organizer of Nijera Kori; Fatema Ferdousi and Adriita Ishna, Senior Specialist of BRAC; Lawyers Sabina Shipra and Purabi Talukdar of Dhaka YWCA of Bangladesh; Kazi Gulshan Ara Dipa, Coordinator of Kormojibi Nari; Sirajul Islam, Program Officer of The Campaign for Popular Education (CAMPE); and Nur Jahan from Bohnishikha.
Additionally, representatives from other member organizations, including World Vision, Ain o Salish Kendra (ASK), National Girl Child Advocacy Forum, Dipta Foundation, B-SCAN, BLAST, and others, were present. Approximately 50 people attended the meeting, including representatives from CIC-BD member organizations, leaders of the Bangladesh Mahila Parishad central committee, and officials.
The representatives present at the meeting expressed their views on including several specific issues in this year’s report-
such as: withdrawal of reservations on Articles 2 and 16, 1(c) of the CEDAW Convention; the actual status of implementation of women-friendly laws; discriminatory laws; discriminatory family laws (uniform family law); social protection; violence against women and sexual harassment; patriarchal customs; backlash; passing laws to prevent sexual harassment; child labor; trafficking; prevention of illegal migration; mob violence; and other related matters.
