News Desk : dhakamirror.com
Begum Rokeya Day was observed on Monday across the country with a call for ensuring equality of women in every sector.
The country marks December 9 as Begum Rokeya Day commemorating birth and death anniversaries of Begum Rokeya Sakhawat Hossain on the same day.
Begum Rokeya, considered as a pioneer of women renaissance in the subcontinent, was a Bengali writer, thinker, educationist, social activist, and advocate of women’s rights.
Recalling contribution of Rokeya Sakhawat Hossain, popularly known as Begum Rokeya, to social reform, chief adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus said that her works and thoughts surprised him.
He made the remark while distributing Begum Rokeya Padak-2024 to the recipients at a ceremony at Osmani Memorial Auditorium in the city on Monday. Amid the hard time, Rokeya emerged as a courageous girl and lady, the chief adviser said.
The chief adviser also proposed introduction of ‘Sultanar Swapna (dream) Award’.
Describing Begum Rokeya as the precursor of the women renaissance, Bangladesh Nationalist Party acting chairman Tarique Rahman said that the life, works and ideals of Begum Rokeya would inspire immensely the womenfolk to become self-reliant.
‘Begum Rokeya inspired women to become self-reliant in the family, society and economy,’ he said in a message marking the Begum Rokeya Day 2024.
Different women rights bodies, social and cultural organisations, observed the day paying rich tributes to the celebrated personality who was born on December 9, 1880, in the village of Pairaband of Mithapukur in Rangpur. To mark the day, the Ministry of Children and Women Affairs organised a programme.
The government introduced the award in 1995 after the name of Begum Rokeya, a pioneer of women’s liberation movement in the undivided Bengal who was a leading feminist writer and social worker during the early 20th century and mostly famous for her efforts for gender equality and female education.
The Dhaka north city unit of the Communist Party of Bangladesh organised a discussion at party’s central office to mark the day. Bangladesh Nari Mukti Sangsad also held a discussion at the Workers Party of Bangladesh central office to mark the day.
Leaders of Bangladesh Nari Samhati and Bangladesh Nari Mukti Kendra placed wreaths at the portrait of Begum Rokeya in the morning inside Rokeya Hall at Dhaka University.
