Bangladesh Party Proposes 5-Hour Workday for Women, Stirs Debate

A Bangladeshi political party's proposal for a special five-hour workday for women has sparked a national debate. Critics argue the plan is a patriarchal strategy to push women out of the full-time workforce. The Jamaat-e-Islami party recently announced the policy as part of its election platform. It says the measure would support women balancing work and family responsibilities. However, many citizens and rights groups strongly oppose the idea. They believe the plan is not designed to help women, but to ultimately send working women back into the home. They call it a step backward for gender equality in the country. Jamaat-e-Islami is a key ally of the main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP). The proposal comes ahead of the country's next general election, highlighting women's rights as a campaign issue.