JU VC demands Ershad�s apology for his remarks

Savar: Jahangirnagar University vice-chancellor Farzana Islam yesterday demanded apology of former president HM Ershad for his remarks in parliament on Monday night when he called women in important positions as "showpieces", reports BSS.
"This (comment) about the respectable women is the manifestation un-parliamentary attitude on the part of a former president, who also served in different important positions," Farzana, the first woman VC of a public university in Bangladesh, said in a statement.
Farzana added: "With such a comment he dishonoured the country's women community and particularly the women with dignity . . . I ask him to seek apology to the country's womenfolk for his indecent statement".
Speaking at the budget discussion yesterday, Ershad, who now heads the main opposition Jatiya Party as its chairman, called women who currently held important positions in the statecraft as "showpieces", sparking instant and massive reaction in the House particularly from women members.
"It is frequently said that the prime minister is a woman, deputy leader of the house is a woman, the speaker is a woman and the opposition leader is a woman . . . they are all showpieces, they (women) are helpless outside," Ershad said.
Amid loud protests from women lawmakers, Speaker Shirin Sharmin Chowdhury immediately announced that the word "showpiece" would be expunged from the proceedings while Ershad's wife Raushan Ershad, also the leader of the opposition herself regretted the comments.
Ershad too, however, was compelled to withdraw his comments saying "all right . . . I'm withdrawing (my comments)".
An army general turned politician Ershad appeared as the strongman of Bangladesh staging a coup in 1982 but subsequently he put in his efforts to give his autocratic rule a political face holding controversial parliamentary elections.
But his regime banned a popular weekly at that time as it carried a cover story titled "30 sets of ornaments" in an oblique reference to 30 women members of parliament.

JU VC demands Ershad�s apology for his remarks

Savar: Jahangirnagar University vice-chancellor Farzana Islam yesterday demanded apology of former president HM Ershad for his remarks in parliament on Monday night when he called women in important positions as showpieces, reports BSS. This (comment) about the respectable women is the manifestation un-parliamentary attitude on the part of a former president, who also served in different important positions, Farzana, the first woman VC of a public university in Bangladesh, said in a statement. Farzana added: With such a comment he dishonoured the countrys women community and particularly the women with dignity . . . I ask him to seek apology to the countrys womenfolk for his indecent statement. Speaking at the budget discussion yesterday, Ershad, who now heads the main opposition Jatiya Party as its chairman, called women who currently held important positions in the statecraft as showpieces, sparking instant and massive reaction in the House particularly from women members. It is frequently said that the prime minister is a woman, deputy leader of the house is a woman, the speaker is a woman and the opposition leader is a woman . . . they are all showpieces, they (women) are helpless outside, Ershad said. Amid loud protests from women lawmakers, Speaker Shirin Sharmin Chowdhury immediately announced that the word showpiece would be expunged from the proceedings while Ershads wife Raushan Ershad, also the leader of the opposition herself regretted the comments. Ershad too, however, was compelled to withdraw his comments saying all right . . . Im withdrawing (my comments). An army general turned politician Ershad appeared as the strongman of Bangladesh staging a coup in 1982 but subsequently he put in his efforts to give his autocratic rule a political face holding controversial parliamentary elections. But his regime banned a popular weekly at that time as it carried a cover story titled 30 sets of ornaments in an oblique reference to 30 women members of parliament.