For the first time, a ‘Hijab Rally’ was held at Dhaka University today (Saturday) in observance of International Hijab Day.
The rally began in front of the Vice-Chancellor’s residence, passed through TSC and Russell Tower, and concluded at Raju Sculpture, where a brief gathering took place. The rally was organized by a group called Protest Against Hijabophobia in DU to mark International Hijab Day.
During the gathering, students expressed their views, saying, “We advocate for freedom of dress in various contexts, yet when it comes to the hijab, that freedom is often disregarded. The hijab is our right. Judge us by our work, not our clothing.”
Mishkatul Jannat, a student at Dhaka University, emphasized the importance of understanding historical contexts. She said, “To truly understand any issue, we must first learn about its historical background. We have seen how, within just a few months of the July coup, various forms of propaganda emerged, distorting history. If we do not learn our history, the significance of Hijab Day will gradually fade away.” She also noted that for the past four years, the Department of Islamic Studies at Dhaka University has held small events for World Hijab Day, but it has yet to gain widespread popularity in Bangladesh.
Jamaluddin Khaled, the convener of an organizing group called the Independent Bangladesh Student Parliament, told reporters, “Those who wore hijabs and niqabs during fascist regimes faced various forms of harassment. Not only hijabs and niqabs, but even those with beards and caps were subjected to discrimination. The West portrays these as symbols of extremism. Our initiative aims to break free from this narrative.”
