The World Population Day-2023 will be observed across the country as elsewhere in the world today (July 10) with an aim to work together for building a gender equality-based society.
Different programmes have been taken in observance of the day in a befitting manner. The theme of the day this year is "Unleashing the power of gender equality: Uplifting the voices of women and girls to unlock our world's infinite possibilities".
President Mohammed Shahabuddin and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina issued separate massages on the occasion urging all concerned to make family planning services easily accessible to the people ensuring human rights.
In his message, the President said population plays important role in the development of a country.
There is no alternative to build a planned family considering the size of the country, its location, population, natural resources, environment and socio-economic situation, he added.
He said the country's constitution ensures equal rights for male and female. Now half of the population of the country is woman, he said, adding that women need to be involved in a large number in the country's development activities.
For building a planned family, the President said the couples having reproductive capacity need to be motivated and at the same time, steps should be taken to reach family planning services to them properly.
"We all need to work together to ensure gender equality. We will have to emphasis on increasing literacy rate and employment for poverty alleviation preventing the population growth rate," he added.
In her message, Minister Sheikh Hasina called upon all concerned to ensure the optimum utilization of service infrastructures at the grassroots for reproductive healthcare, family planning, maternal and child healthcare services.
She said half of the country's population is woman, so country's development is not possible without them. Inspired by the ideals of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the government has been implementing various programmes for ensuring the rights and development of women and girls, she added.
"We have set up 18,500 community clinics to bring healthcare to the doorsteps of the people. Apart from working at the community clinics and satellite clinics, field workers of the family planning department are visiting house to house to give healthcare to mothers and children," the Premier said, adding that as a result, child and mother mortality rates has come down significantly.
Both the President and the Premier wished overall success of the World Population Day 2023.
