Stop the war, save women and children: PM

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Tuesday called for ending all wars, including the latest one between Israel and Palestine.

“We do not want these wars. Not as a female politician or prime minister, but as a mother, I urge world leaders to just stop these wars,” she said.

“Stop these games of weapons and arms race as these cause most sufferings for the women and children,” she said.

The prime minister said this while addressing a programme after inaugurating the newly constructed 12-storey Joyeeta Tower at Dhanmondi. The programme was held at her official residence Ganabhaban.

Hasina said that all are witnessing a rattle of wars across the globe right now.

“Earlier Ukraine-Russia war, now Israel attacked Palestine, and Israel already grabbed more than half of the Palestine,” she said.

She mentioned that her family members and she had a bad experience of war and killings.

“During the Liberation War we were under the captivity of the occupying forces while after 15 August 1975, we saw the brutality of a refugee life,” she said.

“We had no furniture and we were not confirmed whether we would get food to eat at that time,” she said, reports BSS.

At the function, Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman’s younger daughter and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s only sister Sheikh Rehana was present.

A video documentary on the activities of the Joyeeta Foundation and the construction of the Joyeeta Tower was screened at the function.

Earlier, the prime minister went to Dhanmondi-27 and unveiled the inaugural plaque of Joyeeta Tower and also opened the Jamdani Gallery and Joyeeta Market Place in Joyeeta Tower.

The Joyeeta Tower was constructed with state-of-the-art infrastructure to ensure women’s economic empowerment by involving them in various business ventures under the Joyeeta brand.

The government had already allotted one bigha of land in each division at a token price for the Joyeeta Foundation.

About the inauguration of the Joyeeta Tower, Sheikh Hasina said they have built the tower to help grassroots women market their products easily and thus become self-independent economically.

“We had earlier established the Joyeeta Foundation to empower women financially,” she said.

She quoted Bangabandhu as saying that “women empowerment is possible if they achieve economic independence through earning money for themselves.”

She also recalled the contribution of her younger sister Sheikh Rehana to helping women become entrepreneurs.

Briefly describing the measures taken by her government for women's welfare, she said her government is doing everything possible to empower and develop women from the grassroots.

“We have introduced the system of reserving posts for the women in union, upazila and district councils mainly to explore women leadership from the grassroots,” she said

She said they have introduced the system of incorporating the name of the mother alongside the father in giving the identity of their children replacing the old one that only required the father’s name.

The prime minister said Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman had given the country the constitution within nine months of the country’s independence which guaranteed equal rights of the men and women.

She said there was the provision of reserving 15 seats for women in the constitution which is now 50.

“Bangabandhu always believed in women empowerment. He reserved seats for the women in the parliament to flourish the women's leadership,” she said.

She continued that Bangabandhu had first appointed women in judiciary and police as the country cannot achieve progress leaving women, accounting for half of the population, at home.

The prime minister said she later appointed women as judges of the apex court alongside posting women as superintendent of police and deputy commissioner despite opposition.

Being appointed as the first women superintendent of police, Rawshan Ara held dacoits risking her life and proved that women can work successfully in any position, she said.

She also said women have to realise their rights with their education, talent and skill without depending on mercy from others.

“You (women) have to place your position by your works based on education, wisdom and skill,” she said, adding, “It will not be possible to secure your position by only shouting for rights.”

The premier expressed her satisfaction saying the women now take their position in every step of the society by utilising their talents.

She called upon the women to bring every inch of land under cultivation against the backdrop of the global economic recession and rise in inflation.

“We have to grow our food. So, grow whatever you can by utilising every inch of your fallow lands,” she said.

The prime minister said her government had transformed the country into a developing and digital nation with their round-the-clock hard work and pragmatic and specific plans.

“Now the world considers Bangladesh as a model of development,” she said.

She asked the women folk to be vigilant as none can hinder the ongoing development works.

She reminded the countrymen that the BNP-Jamaat clique had destroyed the country by making it a free ground for militancy, terrorism and corruption.

The prime minister said they are now on a hot pursuit to turn Bangladesh into a developed, prosperous and Smart Bangladesh by 2041.

Sheikh Hasina called upon the countrymen to vote her party to power again in the upcoming general election to sustain the country’s development.

“The people of the country got freedom by voting for the boat (AL election symbol). Today, Bangladesh got the status of a developing country because it also voted for the boat,” she said.

The premier said that Bangladesh is now witnessing democracy as her party is in power.

“People’s rights are now guaranteed, economic progress is being ensured and the country is moving forward,” she added.

State Minister for Women and Children Affairs Ministry Fazilatun Nessa Indira’s Principal Secretary M Tofazzel Hossain Miah and Chairman of Parliamentary Standing Committee on Women and Children Affairs Ministry Meher Afroz Chumki, Secretary Nazma Mobarek and Joyeeta Foundation Managing Director Afroja Khan also spoke at the programme.