Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal activists of Government Rajendra College in Faridpur held a procession last night protesting Kushtia-3 Jamaat MP and Islamic preacher Amir Hamza’s body-shaming remarks against women lawmakers during a recent waz mahfil.

JCD activists started the protest march from the college campus, went through the town streets, and ended at the Faridpur Press Club. At a brief rally, they denounced Hamza’s remarks as offensive and called on him to withdraw them and avoid making similar comments in the future.

A recent video clip that went viral on social media showed first-time MP Amir Hamza commenting on the women lawmakers he sat with in the parliament.

“There were Rumeen Farhana Apa and Minister Patal’s daughter, Farzana Sharmin. On my right and left, I saw such pot-bellied people. Since the seats are arranged in advance, we do not even know who will sit where. By Allah’s will, when I entered, I found pot-bellied people on both sides – so huge that, if cut open, perhaps bridges and culverts would be revealed. Women would feel embarrassed if they saw them,” Hamza was heard saying.

The Daily Star could not verify when or where the remarks were made, as those commenting on the matter either could not or would not provide the information.

Contacted by The Daily Star yesterday, Amir Hamza said, “It was a one-and-a-half-hour discussion. Do you expect me to remember where and in what context I said something? Don’t the media have more important issues to focus on? There are many inconsistencies they don’t highlight, so why dwell on these?”

When asked if he had made the statement in the past couple of days, the Jamaat-e-Islami lawmaker replied, “I don’t even know that.”

In her reaction, Rumeen Farhana, independent MP from Brahmanbaria-2, said, “This comment by Amir Hamza came to my attention the day before yesterday. Given his track record and the kind of uncivil remarks he has repeatedly made in the past, this is not an exception.”

“I was also surprised to see that, even after attending parliament for a week, he still does not know that each member has an assigned seat. He referred to people sitting to his right and left, but in reality, no one was around him. As a Jamaat MP, he sits with other Jamaat members.”

“It (the statement) reflects their attitude towards women. In a misogynist society, it's not very unlikely, but the most unfortunate part is that they are now formally the representatives of the people,” she said.

Asked about Amir Hamza’s remarks, State Minister for Women and Children Affairs and Social Welfare Farzana Sharmin told The Daily Star, “I have seen the video. I feel it is beneath my dignity even to speak on this matter.”

“By saying these things, he has insulted every woman MP, and even every MP in the Parliament. Not only that, he has insulted every woman in the country, including his own mother.”

When asked about taking legal action, the minister said, “For now, rather than responding to such a vulgar person, I have many more important tasks to focus on. At this moment, my main concern should be to make him aware of this.”

At the last night rally, the JCD unit’s senior vice-president Mamunur Rashid said, “We strongly condemn the remarks about women leaders, who have played vital roles in building Bangladesh. In the past, derogatory comments about working women have also surfaced, which is unacceptable.”

He said that Hamza claims to follow Islam, “yet Islam teaches modesty for both men and women. By not following this himself, he has made unacceptable remarks about women.”

The student leaders further said the JCD units in Faridpur district and that of Rajendra College strongly condemn the remarks.

“The statement must be withdrawn immediately, and an apology issued to the nation. Otherwise, starting from Rajendra College, JCD will launch protests across the country,” Mamunur added.

Kushtia Jamaat-e-Islami Secretary Suja Uddin Joardar said, “A person says many things every day; does he need to be taught everything? He has been warned repeatedly – by us at the party level, by our central leaders, and locally. We are also asking his friends to guide him. We are very embarrassed.”

Asked for his reaction to Hamza’s remarks, Kushtia district BNP Member Secretary Engineer Zakir Hossain Sarker told The Daily Star, “I do not think any person with a sound mind can say such things. The people he spoke about sit beside him. After making such remarks, how will he face them or sit next to them in the next parliamentary session? Those he referred to are also honourable members of the parliament.”

Responding to Amir Hamza’s controversial remarks, Faridpur-3 lawmaker Nayab Yusuf Ahmed told The Daily Star that the comments reflected a “deeply narrow mindset.” “They do not see women as human beings -- as if we have come from another planet,” she said. “How can those who speak about women in this way accept our leadership? It is simply absurd. They do not truly practice religion. In the name of religion, they are trying to suppress women. The people of this country will not accept this, and neither do I.”

Our correspondents from Kushtia, Brahmanbaria, Bogura and Faridpur contributed to this report