UNB:
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Friday asked the women to build the country, contributing to the society equally alongside their male counterparts.
“Today if we have to progress economically, and men and women can build a country equally with their work,” she said.
The premier was addressing a discussion and Joyeeta Award-giving ceremony arranged in the city to mark International Women’s Day 2024.
The Women and Children Affairs Ministry organised the programme at Osmani Memorial Auditorium.
The PM said if the women, who account for half of the society, don’t come forward and work in a society, then that society can never develop and it (the society) cannot be a pioneer.
“We can move forward only if women and men work together. Today, we are moving forward because we have ensured (women’s participation) this,” she said.
Hasina said it is her optimism on this International Women’s Day that the women of Bangladesh would never be left behind.
Noting that Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman ensured that the constitutional rights of women are given, Hasina said her party -Bangladesh Awami League is the only political party in the country which mentioned the equal rights of men and women in its charter and election manifesto.
“Not just in words, but Awami League has shown it when it came to power,” she added.
She said her government has created opportunities. “So, the womenfolk should also come forward. Women do most of the work,” she continued.
Citing a statistic which shows the participation of women is 43 per cent in terms of labour, she said that they ( working women) do extra work even after returning home from the office which is not being calculated.
Referring to her government’s vision for 2041, the premier said, “We have built digital Bangladesh, and now our goal is to build Smart Bangladesh by making a Smart Population, Smart Economy, Smart Society by 2041”.
“If women are more involved in this journey of building a smart Bangladesh, then we can reach our desired goal faster,” she said.
In the function, the prime minister conferred “Best Joyeeta Award-2023” at the national level to five women in recognition of their outstanding successes in different fields by overcoming difficulties and challenges.
The best awardees are- Anar Koli (economic) from Mymensingh, Kalyani Minji (education and employment) from Rajshahi, Komoli Robi Dash (successful mother) from Moulvibazar, Jahanara Begum (repression prevention) from Barguna and Pakhi Dutta Hijra (social development) from Khulna.
State Minister for Women and Children Affairs Simeen Hussain (Rimi) chaired the event, while Women and Children Affairs Secretary Nazma Mobarek delivered the welcome speech.
Kallyani Minji on behalf of the Joyeeta Awardees shared her feelings upon receiving the award.
“Joyeeta” (victorious), a woman who reaches the peak of success by conquering all hurdles, means it is the symbolic name of a struggling and indomitable woman.
Every year the government confers the Joyeeta award in five categories– the women who achieved success economically, the women who earned success in education and job, the successful mothers, the women who turned around by wiping out the dark days of torture and the women who contributed to social development.
