Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami’s ameer Dr. Shafiqur Rahman has said a woman can never head the Islamist party, telling Al Jazeera that the top post is permanently closed to female leaders because of what he described as divinely ordained gender roles.
In an interview conducted by journalist Srinivasan Jain, Rahman also confirmed Jamaat has no women candidates in the upcoming 13th parliamentary election. He framed the absence as reflective of Bangladesh’s “political culture,” adding the party is “preparing for the future” and insisting this “does not mean we disrespect women.”
Pressed on whether a woman could ever become Jamaat’s chief, Rahman responded in the negative. He argued men and women were created “differently,” saying men cannot breastfeed or undertake maternal caregiving and that these biologically distinct roles reflect “Allah’s decree,” which the party cannot change.
Asked how this position squares with Bangladesh’s three-decade experience of female prime ministers, Rahman said Jamaat “does not disrespect” women leaders but maintained that certain “specific responsibilities”—especially after motherhood—pose limitations he believes men do not face. “Allah has apportioned responsibilities with full knowledge,” he said, reiterating that Jamaat’s leadership is reserved for men.