2024-03-08 09:13:26
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has asked for equal participation of men and women to build a developed and prosperous smart Bangladesh in the world by working together to achieve political and cultural rights through socio-economic development.
“If we have to progress economically, then we have to build the country with equal labor of men and women. Because half of the society is women, if that half does not work, then the society will not work. If we work together, we can move forward’, he said.
He said this at a discussion meeting and award ceremony on the occasion of International Women’s Day-2024 at the Osmani Memorial Auditorium in the capital on Friday (March 8).
The Prime Minister urged the women to come forward without sitting at home saying that the Awami League government has created all kinds of facilities for women to move forward.
He said, now girls have to come forward. Do not stay at home. Because girls work more. 43 percent of the labor is shown in terms of work, but girls do office-court work and come home with another job. But managing the family is not considered as such. If it is taken as, girls work much more, giving more labor.
Stating that the aim of her government is that our women will never be left behind, Sheikh Hasina said, in the constitution of the party, we are the only political party Bangladesh Awami League where equal rights of men and women are mentioned in the party’s constitution. When we came to power, we did not just say it, we showed it.
In the beginning of his speech, the Prime Minister gratefully remembered the sacrifices and contributions of the oppressed mothers and sisters in the great liberation war. Highlighting the steps taken by Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman in their rehabilitation and employment creation, he said, Bangabandhu established the ‘Women’s Rehabilitation Board’ to rehabilitate women. They brought doctors and nurses from different countries of the world and treated them. Many were in very poor physical and mental condition then. The father of the nation arranged everything from their marriage to employment. He honored them. He recognized them as a liberation war. The father of the nation wanted Bengali women to take a separate place in education and initiation. He has recognized the equal rights of men and women in the constitution. Guaranteed 10 percent quota in employment for women. Reserved seats for women in Parliament so that women leadership could develop.
When the Awami League came to power in 1996, the Awami League government ensured the awakening of women and the opportunities for them to come forward, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said, we have already taken many steps for women. The Army, the Air Force, the Navy, and even the Border Guard, had no place for women. Now our girls are working everywhere. Our girls are doing good work in UN peacekeeping missions. The United Nations is performing its duties very efficiently here.
Mentioning the contribution of Bangamata Sheikh Fazilatunnesa Mujib as the consort of the Father of the Nation, he said, when Bangabandhu was in prison, she took care of the family, managed the political party and movement-struggle very efficiently. What he did was done behind the scenes.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina highlighted the awakening and success of women in sports.
In order to ensure the awakening of women at the grassroots level and their coming forward, he said that women are being given a lot of training at the grassroots level in the villages, and separate employment arrangements are being made for them. The scholarship money that we give to primary students is going directly to the mother through her mobile phone. We have ensured women’s safety against child marriage, evictions, appropriate laws. We are giving special allowance to working women. We are giving special allowances to working mothers who donate breast milk, separate allowances for widows and widowers, separate allowances for senior citizens.
At this time, Sheikh Hasina highlighted the community clinic for the protection of women’s health and said that through this, women are able to ensure health services very easily. The advantage of the committee clinic is that girls can walk themselves and seek treatment.
The prime minister said that we have made arrangements so that women can work on their own. We are building 100 economic zones across the country and have arranged separate plots for women. If someone wants to do something there as an entrepreneur, there are different arrangements, there are facilities.
He said, I formulated the women’s development policy, but the BNP left it in the name of amendment and did not implement it. For the second time we have come to the government and are implementing it.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said that the Awami League government is working to eliminate poverty and give a better life to the people of the country. He expressed his determination to build a smart Bangladesh in 2041.
On Women’s Day, he expressed the promise of building a hunger-free and poverty-free smart Bangladesh, he said that no one will be left behind, men and women will come and make the country a developed and prosperous country in the world court.