Former caretaker government adviser and educationist Rasheda K Choudhury today alleged that women’s voices are being ignored in the reform process.

“We have held press conferences and given alternative proposals, but is anyone listening? Clearly not. When the chief adviser sits with political parties, not a single woman is present. Should we only depend on so-called women-friendly men?” she said.

She was speaking at a dialogue organised by the Citizen’s Platform for SDGs, Bangladesh, at a Dhaka hotel.

On education, she warned that children are being treated like “guinea pigs”, with frequent policy changes confusing students while coaching centres and guidebooks replace ethics, values, and creative thinking.

She also highlighted the plight of domestic workers, saying many face eviction and insecurity as political groups fight over control of slums.

Calling for clear priorities in reforms, Rasheda said focusing on selected areas would make changes more effective than trying to cover “15 sectors at once”.

Recalling the 1969 mass movement slogan, she added, “We used to say the struggle will continue, the struggle will live long. But now the struggle has become so long that we can hardly endure it.”