Joint General Secretary of Bangladesh Awami League, Information and Broadcasting Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud said, under the leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and AL government, women have been empowered in Bangladesh.
“We believe that people's empowerment is possible through women empowerment as half of the country's population is female. If people are to be empowered, women need to be empowered. That is why our leader Bangabandhu's daughter Sheikh Hasina believes in women's empowerment”, he added.
He was speaking as the chief guest at the annual conference of Rangunia Upazila Mahila Awami League in Chattogram on Thursday evening. The conference was held at Rangunia Municipality Advocate Nuruchchafa Talukder Auditorium.
The minister said no other government has done as much as the Awami League government has done for the development of women. There are more leaders in Bangladesh; they have done nothing for women's development. The BNP and their leader Khaleda Zia have not done anything for the development of women. They have done it only for their own development.
Awami League Finance and Planning Secretary Wasika Ayesha Khan MP addressed the conference as a special guest under the chairmanship of Upazila Mahila Awami League President Palashi Mutsuddi and General Secretary Nilufar Akhter. Dilwara Yusuf, President of Chittagong North District Women's Awami League delivered the inaugural address while Basanti Prabha Palit, General Secretary was the keynote speaker.
Dr Hasan Mahmud said that the way women have been developed in Bangladesh under the leadership of Bangabandhu's daughter Sheikh Hasina is presented as an example to the world. 15-20 years ago, someone thought that a woman would be a DC-SP. But today many UNOs in Bangladesh are women; DC of many districts are women. And they are working extremely efficiently. The empowerment of women in Bangladesh under the leadership of Sheikh Hasina is unimaginable.
He said that in fact the empowerment of women started in 1996 when PM Sheikh Hasina took charge of the government by the verdict of the people. Our leader appointed women as judges of the High Court and also appointed judges of the Appellate Division of the High Court. Now women secretaries of many ministries are performing their duties efficiently.
The information and broadcasting
minister said that women have been empowered not only in the government sector but also in rural areas. One-third of the women members in the Upazila Parishad and Union Parishad have been confirmed by Sheikh Hasina. Before the birth of a child, only the father's name was written in the place of the guardian, now the mother's name is also written.
Bangladeshi women have never demanded for a husband's abandonment allowance. But she has introduced husband abandonment allowance. Even in Europe, there is no husband abandonment allowance. The allowances introduced for women's development, including maternity allowances, are an example to the world.
He said that when the children go to school, the stipend money goes to the mother on her mobile phone. The contribution of the Awami League government in the development of women should be kept in mind even during the voting.
The leaders of the women's Awami League should play a responsible role in the village so that the women of this country do not forget the boat symbol.
