When will Bangladesh get its first woman president?
Who will break the glass ceiling and when?
Members of the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement have called for a new President of Bangladesh. Bangladesh has had 16 presidents since 1971. The post has been an exclusively men’s club. Will this change in the near future? Who will break the glass ceiling? While Bangladesh has had two women Prime Ministers dominate its politics and governments for the past 34 years, the Monsoon Revolution is ushering in a new era which may see the country break with the perennial Battle of the Begums.
The baton for the premiership may be passed onto a new generation, with most of the potential PM candidates being male. This presents an opportunity to nominate Bangladesh’s first female president in keeping with the revolutionary spirit for a Bangladesh 2.0 and a break with the politics of the past. There are increasing calls for a more semi-presidential system of government, with the need for the President to have more oversight over constitutional and legal matters. The Prime Minister should ideally consult and work in tandem with the wisdom of the presidency.
In keeping with historic times, perhaps Bangladesh should consider a truly historic and consequential presidency led by one of the leading Bangladeshi thinkers of our time. To my mind, the two best candidates for the presidency can be Irene Khan or Sara Hossain. Both women are leaders in the field of international human rights law. Irene Khan was the first woman Secretary General of Amnesty International and currently serves as UN Special Rapporteur on freedom of expression. Sara Hossain, whom I have had the privilege to work with, is undoubtedly one of the greatest and most articulate thinkers of our generation. She looks after the Bangladesh Legal Aid and Services Trust (BLAST), which is the largest nationwide legal aid organization in the country. She is also the Chair of the UN Fact Finding Mission on Iran.
Both women are the pre-eminent Bangladeshi human rights advocates of our time. Irene Khan understands the challenges facing human rights in Bangladesh. In her words, “whether you need to renew a driving license, set up a small business, report a serious crime to the police, or seek admission of your child to the local school, as an ordinary citizen you are acutely aware of the daily failure of the State to protect your rights”. Sara Hossain has argued in the Supreme Court to win some of the most important human rights cases in Bangladesh’s recent history, including on the safety of women in the workplace, road safety, children’s rights, the use of force, freedom of assembly, labor rights and a host of other human rights issues.
If one were to become president, the other could potentially be vice-president. They should be allowed to argue in court while holding the presidency. Even while holding the post of Prime Minister of British Bengal, Sher-e-Bangla A. K. Fazlul Huq and Huseyn Shaheed Suhrawardy both argued before the courts. Sher-e-Bangla and Suhrawardy continued this practice in Pakistan as members of the cabinet.
The knowledge and experience these women bring to the table are invaluable. Bangladesh’s democracy and statecraft will greatly benefit from their expertise. The two women are incredibly articulate and they can communicate with the public on human rights issues as Bangladesh embarks on important reforms. We need to break the glass ceiling and I would nominate either of these women for the presidency.