Bangladesh conservatives rally in show of force

Thousands of Bangladeshi conservatives rallied in Dhaka on Saturday, one of their biggest public shows of strength in years as religious activism surges.

Religious groups have gained strength after the toppling of the iron-fisted regime of Sheikh Hasina in August 2024, opposing attempts at reforms they say are un-Islamic.

Hefazat-e-Islam -- an influential pressure group made up of multiple political parties, Muslim organizations and religious schools -- issued a string of demands at Saturday's rally, including the abolishment of a government women's commission seeking equality.

"Men and women can never be equal: the Holy Quran outlines specific codes of life for both genders," said Mohammad Shihab Uddin, 53, leader of a women's madrassa, a religious school.

"There is no way we can go beyond that."

The rally on Saturday came after two days of demonstrations by political parties, drumming up support ahead of much-anticipated elections, including by the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), widely tipped to win the poll.

No date has been set for elections but caretaker leader Muhammad Yunus, the Nobel Peace Prize winner who heads the interim government, has promised polls will be held by June 2026 at the latest.

Muhammad Umar Faruq, 30, another teacher at a seminary, said they helped the interim government run the country.

"If a government attempts anything anti-Islamic in a country where 92 percent of the population is Muslim, we will reject it immediately," Umar Faruq said.

Hasina, who was blamed for extensive human rights abuses, took a tough stand against religious movements during her autocratic 15-year rule.

Since she fled to India -- where she has defied extradition orders to face charges of crimes against humanity -- religious groups have become emboldened.

That has sparked worries from smaller groups, including Muslim Sufi worshippers and the Hindu minority, who together account for less than a 10th of the population.

Women, in particular, have expressed concern.

Protesters have demanded an end to a swath of activities, including cultural events deemed "anti-Islamic" -- from music to theater festivals, women's football matches and kite-flying celebrations.