A parliamentary watchdog on Sunday recommended the government to drop female officers from the delegation of offering guard of honour to the freedom fighters.
The parliamentary standing committee on Ministry of Liberation War Affairs also suggested for sending a male representative instead of woman officer.
The recommendations were made during a meeting of the committee held at Parliament Secretariat with its president Shajahan Khan in the chair.
According to the policy of the government, district or upazila administration pays state-honor to freedom fighter after his/her death where Deputy Commissioner (DC) or Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) attends as representative of the government. DC or UNO pays homage to freedom fighter by placing flower bouquet at the coffin.
The JS body has come up with such suggestions when the government has been working to ensure equal participation of women in every sphere of the society.
A good number of female officers have been discharging responsibilities as UNO across the country.
After the meeting, Shajahan Khan told reporters that that many people at the local level raise questions when a woman UNO goes for giving the guard of honor.
“A woman cannot attend janaza but she gives guard of honor. We have also asked the ministry to think over the issue to send a male representative instead of a woman UNO,” he said.
The body also asked the government to organize the guard of honor ceremony at daytime and appoint a male officer instead of woman UNO during the guard of honor.Committee members including, Liberation War Affairs minister AKM Mozammel Haque, Rajiuddin Ahmed, Major (Retd) Rafiqul Islam, Kazi Firoz Rashid, Waresat Hussain Belal and Moslem Uddin Ahmed, among others, attended the meeting.
