Alpha Arzu
Five women will, for the first time in Bangladesh, lead 10 important ministries, including the defence, foreign, energy and home, for the next five years.
The 32-member council of ministers includes five women, including Sheikh Hasina, sworn in as prime minister for the second term on Tuesday.
She leads six ministries — energy and power, housing and public works, women and children affairs, religious affairs, defence and establishment — and two divisions — cabinet and armed forces.
Dipu Moni, a physician and first-time lawmaker was elected for the Chandpur 3 constituency, is named as the first female foreign minister.
Sahara Khatun, elected lawmaker for the Dhaka 18 constituency, has been given the home ministry.
Matia Chowdhury, lawmaker for the Sherpur 2 constituency, leads the agriculture ministry which she was in charge of on Hasina’s cabinet during 1996–2001.
Khulna trade union leader Munnujan Sufian, elected lawmaker for the Khulna 3 constituency, has been made the state minister for labour and employment.
The Awami League had a landslide victory in the December 29 general elections, polls, winning 228 out of 299 constituencies. The alliance led by the party won 258 constituencies.
Women rights activists and women in general welcomed the prime minister’s decision of giving the charges of some major ministries to women lawmakers.
Women rights activist Farida Akhter, also a pioneer of Naya Krishi Andolan, on Wednesday told New Age, ‘We are really happy to get some powerful female ministers, who have proved their worth in their political careers.’
Ayesha Khanam of Mahila Parishad told New Age, ‘We need to give some time to the new ministers, both male and female, to prove their worth before commenting on them.’
But the women have urged the male and female ministers alike to work together to ensure women’s rights, stop violence against women and eliminate all sorts of discrimination against women from society, she said.
The ninth parliament will have the highest number of 64 female lawmakers — 19 elected in the general elections and 45 to be selected for reserved seats.
In the previous elected government during 2001–2006, there were three female ministers — Khaleda Zia as prime minister, Khurshid Jahan Haque as women and children affairs minister and Selima Rahman as cultural affairs minister.
Courtesy: newagebd.com
