Tasmiah Nuhiya Ahmed of DOT :
Hifazat-e-Islam Amir Shah Ahmad Shafi has expressed that girls should not be sent to school and college. In response, Sultana Kamal said that what is said by Amir Ahmed Shafi of Hefazat-e-Islami is totally anti-constitutional and the government’s commitment to empowering women. Now the government should deal with this challenge. The responsibility of answering to this statemententirely is on the government. However, as a citizen of this country I believe that this responsibility lies not only on government but on all of us. We need to find out strategies to get rid from these liars and hypocrites. The government of Bangladesh pledged for empowering women. Despite that we have a long way to go, we must acknowledge that we have successfully made remarkable steps in enabling women to lead their life with dignity and respect. The Constitution of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh states that the State shall adopt effective measures for the purpose of – (a) establishing a uniform, mass oriented and universal system of education and extending free and compulsory education to all children to such stage as may be determined by law;
(b) relating education to the needs of society and producing properly trained and motivated citizens to serve those needs;
(c) removing illiteracy within such time as may be determined by law.
The Constitution of this country speaks for education for all.
Our current Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has always emphasized the need to undertake effective actions to advance women’s empowerment. She said that we’ve learned from our experience that economy gains significantly from empowerment of women. Greater gender equality reflects a better education and health system, higher per capita income, faster economic growth and greater competitiveness.
Our PM said that the realization of “leaving no one behind” is contingent upon gender equality and women’s economic empowerment. According to a report by World Economic Forum, Bangladesh ranked top among the countries of South Asia in closing the gender gap. The report says-
“Bangladesh consolidates its position as the region’s top performer and breaks into the global Index top 5 on the Political Empowerment subindexof the year 2018, recording progress on closing its political gender gap…”.The report praises Bangladesh in terms of political empowerment for ‘recording progress on closing its political gender gap’.
The right to equal treatment for both male and female came to the people of our motherland after our liberation in 1971 under the leadership of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. And the people who are ill- equipped to understand that Bangladesh is progressing because both male and female are holding each other’s hand to take this country forward, they should be not allowed to have a platform to speak something publicly that is detrimental not only for women but also hampering the entire nation’s progress.
I believe in freedom of expression but at the same time this freedom should not allow someone to take the country backward.
Sultana Kamalhas rightly said that the government has the responsibility to manage the state with absolute power…and if anybody speaks against the constitution, then the responsibility of taking action according to the state’s policies falls on the state.
Former Vice-Chancellor Professor of Dhaka University that it seems incredible to me that any person can speak such a thing in the twenty-first century. Wherever we are committed to upholding women’s rights, moving forward with the competitive world through women’s empowerment, and expanding the way women’s education can be expanded, a religious leader of this country will talk about blocking women in such a way that they have the fundamental and constitutional rights We do not understand that it will talk about depriving.
The Constitution gave women the right to education regardless of gender. The government has always acted responsibly in protecting that right.
The comments made by Ahmad Shafi’sabout women are not applicable for our Sonar Bangla.
These people should be kept far from us who dream for making our country a role model of development and women empowerment to the entire world.
The writers is the Executive Editor, Daily Our Time.