Bangladesh High Commissioner to the United Kingdom and Ireland Saida Muna Tasneem has been honoured with the "Women of the Decade in Public Life and Diplomacy 2021" award.
The award was given by the Women's Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industries (WICCI) at the Women Entrepreneurs' Summit 2021 organized virtually by the Bangladesh-India Business Council of Women's Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industries (BIBC-WICCI) on Sunday.
The award was virtually handed over to High Commissioner Tasneem by Education Minister of Bangladesh Dr Dipu Moni at the closing session of the two-day summit.
Speaker Dr Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury and Minister Dipu Moni were also recipients of the WICCI Award for 2021 in different categories.
On receiving the award, Tasneem dedicated it to Bangladesh's grassroots women who struggle everyday as farmers, fisherwomen, garment and construction workers, domestic aide or migrant workers.
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High Commissioner Tasneem paid a tribute to Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman for championing women in politics in the 60s and 70s, his humanitarian support to rehabilitate sexually violated women and war-babies from the 1971 War of Liberation and for Article 28 of the constitution guaranteeing equal rights of women.
She expressed her gratitude to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina for triggering a social revolution in the story of women empowerment in Bangladesh over the past one decade.
She said Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, ranked a top global influencer by Forbes and Fortune 100, is leading by example as an Agent of Change and Woman Empowering Woman making Bangladesh a topper in WEF's Global Gender Gap Index.
The prestigious WICCI Award recognizing pioneers, leaders and role models in their respective entrepreneurial and professional spheres were earlier awarded to eminent global personalities including Malta President Marie-Louise Coleiro Preca, Costa Rica President Laura Chinchilla Miranda, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, and former Australian prime minister Julia Gillard, among others.
Chaired by Mipu Moni, the closing session of the summit was also participated by Cherie Blair, chancellor of Asian University of Women, Bangladesh.
Ambassador of Japan to Bangladesh Naoki Ito, UN Resident Coordinator to Bangladesh Mia Seppo, WICCI Founder President Dr Harbeen Arora, and President of BIBC-WICCI Mantasha Ahmed attended the summit.
