"Meaningful progress" not possible leaving women out of uplift process: PM

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today said her government has ensured women participation in all spheres of the state as she said that the country's "meaningful progress" is not possible leaving the women, the half of the total population, out of development process.

"No nation could witness meaningful uplift leaving out its one segment ... so we want to move forward taking with all sections of the society," she said.

The Premier made the remarks when a six-member delegation of Democracy International led by Glenn Cowan called on her at her Jatiya Sangsad Office here this morning.

Democracy International, Inc. is an US-based organization operating in over 40 countries, that advises and assists, on behalf of governments, ministries and NGOs in democracy and governance projects, such as in the conduct of elections, election monitoring and building of multi-party systems.

After the meeting, PM's Press Secretary Ihsanul Karim briefed reporters.

The Prime Minister said the trend of participation of the women in Bangladesh's politics has been increased to a great extent due to various initiatives of the present government.

Twenty-one female members have been directly elected in present parliament, she said, adding currently, the Prime Minister and the Leader of the House, the opposition leader, the deputy leader of the House and a whip are women.

The Premier said 30 percent seats in the local government bodies like Union, Upazila, Municipality and City Corporations have been kept reserved for the women. 

Sheikh Hasina said success of women is everywhere in Bangladesh and they are now at an equal stage along with their male partners in education, games and sports and creative works. 

In this regard, she mentioned that the country's women are now in very high position in all sectors like administration, judiciary, education, administration, as well as in the armed forces and in law-enforcement agencies. 

"Women sailors have been appointed in Bangladesh Navy for the first time recently, while the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) also recruited female members at recent time," she said. 

While talking about democratic process, Sheikh Hasina mentioned that taking with the people, her party, Bangladesh Awami League, struggled for 21 years to restore democracy. 

"The country witnessed military or quasi-military rules for 21 years after the assassination of Bangabandhu," she said. 

She said her party has been formulating policies on various issues through holding discussions, seminar and symposiums.

Sheikh Hasina said her party has founded its research wing -- Centre for Research and Information (CRI) -- to conduct research on different issues.

In this connection, the Premier noted that the BNP-Jamaat government after coming to power in 2001 first made an attack on the CRI to halt its activities. "The law enforcers at the directives of the government high-ups ransacked the CRI office in the capital and seized its 60 computers at that time," she said.

The Democracy International team highly lauded Bangladesh's progress in women empowerment under the leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

They also highly praised the work of the CRI, saying that its personnel are very brilliant at intellectual level. 

Mentioning a strong relationship between Bangladesh Awami League and the Democracy International, the delegation members informed the Premier that they have been working with the Awami League on different issues for 20 years.

Former foreign minister Dr Dipu Moni, AL Publicity and Publication Secretary Dr Hasan Mahmud and PM's Principal Secretary Md Abul Kalam Azad were present at the meeting, among others.