A Bangladesh Betar office order on the dress code for live Facebook bulletins has sparked widespread criticism on social media.

The order signed by Tania Naznin, deputy director general of Bangladesh Betar, the state-owned radio channel, was issued on May 4.

The directive stipulates that female anchors must avoid wearing single-sided scarves and oversized decorative dot on their foreheads, explicitly banning male anchors from wearing T-shirts during broadcasts.

Cultural and women's rights activists criticised the order, calling it an infringement on women's freedom of attire.

Activists also expressed concern that the directive could set a precedent for other formal and informal sectors, ultimately disadvantaging women in the workplace.

Tania Naznin could not be reached for comment on Sunday, as she did not answer multiple phone calls.

Mohammad Shariful Quader, deputy director general of news at Bangladesh Betar, stated that the directive was merely an internal guideline intended for the radio station’s newly launched visual programmes.

‘Every organisation has a dress code for its formal events. This is a new visual programme for a radio station, and the directive was not intended to target specific issues like controlling women’s attire, but rather to maintain a general standard reflecting Bangladesh’s socio-cultural perspective,’ he said.

He further said that the social media discussion would help them reflect properly on the matter.

Bangladesh Betar, he also noted, always works for the people and welcomes people's suggestions regarding its programmes.