Bangladesh is facing strong criticism after two recent decisions by the government led by Muhammad Yunus. These include restrictions on women’s clothing at the workplace and a new rule that stops government employees from protesting.

Women's dress code sparks outrage

Earlier this week, Bangladesh Bank issued an order telling women employees not to wear short dresses, short sleeves, or leggings. Instead, they were told to wear sarees or salwar kameez, and the bank also advised wearing hijab or headscarves. For men, the bank banned jeans and chinos.

The order warned of disciplinary action for those who didn’t follow the dress code, and asked each department to appoint someone to monitor employees’ clothing. This caused a major backlash on social media, with many people comparing the rule to the Taliban’s strict dress rulesin Afghanistan. One user called it a "new Talibani era under a dictator."

Fauzia Moslem, president of the Bangladesh Mahila Parishad, said this kind of restriction had never been seen before in Bangladesh. She added that it seemed like the government was trying to push a certain cultural agenda. After the public outrage, the Bangladesh Bank withdrew the order. A spokesperson said the circular was only advisory and not mandatory.

Protests over women's rights

This controversy comes at a time when Islamist groups in Bangladesh have been protesting against the government’s efforts to give equal rights to women, including property rights. Last month, one group called university teachers “anti-hijab.” Another group, Jamaat-Char Monai, has demanded that Bangladesh become a Sharia-based Islamic state, like Afghanistan under the Taliban.

In May, thousands of people from a group called Hefazat-e-Islam marched in Dhaka holding banners saying, “Say no to Western laws on our women.”

New law bans protests

On top of the dress code issue, people are also upset about a new ordinance passed quietly at night, which allows the government to punish employees who protest or disobey orders. The new rule calls such protests “misconduct disrupting public duty.” If an employee breaks this rule, they can be fired or demoted, and they can’t appeal the decision.

This law replaces an older version that used the term “disobedience,” which had earlier led to large protests by government workers. Overall, both the dress code order and the protest ban have led to growing concern among citizens and rights groups in Bangladesh, with many saying these moves take the country backwards.