An exclusive area for women and children had been set aside in Bangladeshi main tourist resort only to be scrapped just hours after opening.
Bangladeshi authorities have swiftly backtracked on their decision to designate a women-only beach area at the Cox’s Bazar Beach after social media users compared them to the Taliban.
A dedicated area for females had been set up at the world’s longest natural strand, stretching some 120km (75 miles) – and a large sign erected in the sand to inform beachgoers of the new rules.
According to a senior local official, local women had “requested a dedicated beach section for themselves, because they felt shy and insecure in a crowded place.”
The move had been made in the wake of the gang rape of a woman in Cox’s Bazar last week, which raised concerns about safety in the area, which is visited by foreign and local tourists alike. However, just several hours later, the female-only zone had to be scrapped.
A number of social media users had trashed the initiative, accusing the resort’s administration of gender segregation and of pandering to Islamists.
“This is Talebistan,” prominent journalist Syed Ishtiaque Reza proclaimed on Facebook, referring to the Taliban terrorist group, which has been imposing harsh Islamic rules on the conduct of women since usurping power in Afghanistan.
Many others also insisted the authorities shouldn’t give in to the hardline Islamist groups that have been staging rallies across Bangladesh in recent years and demanding segregation of the sexes in workplaces.
Local authorities later issued a statement saying the decision had been “withdrawn” over what they described as “negative comments.”
Bangladesh is a Muslim country of 161 million, with a largely conservative population.