Reading the recent Prothom Alo report on the internal environment of Bangladesh Bank left me deeply disappointed and disheartened.
In the 21st century — an age when the world is moving forward in the name of equality and personal freedom — it is shocking to see that in one of our country’s top financial institutions, employees are still being told what they can or cannot wear. Senior officials dictate dress codes, and even a professional female officer was reprimanded for choosing to wear a saree instead of salwar-kameez. Discrimination based on position, gender, and personal choices is still alive and thriving.
When a grown, educated adult cannot decide for themselves what to wear or how to carry themselves at work, it strips away their dignity. In a society where we boast about becoming part of the ‘developed world,’ how meaningful is that development if we still deny basic autonomy to our professionals?
A workplace is neither a dressing room nor a place for oppression — it is meant to be a space for creativity, competence, and fairness. Personal choice, freedom of attire, and individuality are the bare minimum rights of a professional. Suppressing those rights in the name of rules and seniority is nothing but a form of mental exploitation.
Shouldn’t we aspire to build workplaces where people are valued for their skills, not for what they wear? Shouldn’t a woman or a junior officer be allowed to carry their dignity in their own way?
Such unethical discrimination and denial of personal freedom are no longer acceptable. It is time to raise our voices — so that tomorrow’s Bangladesh becomes a more humane, inclusive, and just place to work.
There can be no true development if personal freedom is left behind.
