Finance Minister AMA Muhith said the present government, under the leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, is committed to empowering women for the development of the society and the country.
Addressing the platinum jubilee celebration of Sylhet Government Women’s College yesterday, the finance minister said the government allocated Tk100 crore in every fiscal year for empowering women.
As a result, he said the rate of women employment rose significantly in the recent years with increasing number of female working in almost all sectors of the job market.
According to the minister, the rate of women employment rose from 7% to nearly 30% in the past three decades.
He called upon the women and in particular the female students of the Sylhet Women College to step forward, shrugging off all confusion to empower themselves.
He said there would be no lack of support including the financial assistance from the government to help women take their own course towards development of the society and the country.
The minister advised them to come forward with the vision and the mission of entrepreneurship so they can utilise more fund when a big portion of the fiscal allocation remain unused every year. According to him, this year so far Tk65 crore was utilised from the women empowerment fund, which was the highest ever implementation, but far below the fiscal allocation.
Former adviser to caretaker government Rasheda K Choudhury and founder of Bishwo Shahitto Kendro Professor Abdullah Abu Sayeed also addressed the celebration of 75 years of Sylhet Women College.