Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is set to hand over Begum Rokeya Padak to five eminent women for their outstanding contribution towards society, women's education and empowerment.
She is set to join an event on the occasion of Begum Rokeya Day at the Osmani Memorial Auditorium in Dhaka on Friday at 10am, reads a press release.
A press conference was organized by the Ministry of Women and Children Affairs at the Bangladesh Secretariat in Dhaka to present the details of the program to the media on Thursday.
State Minister for Women and Children Affairs Fazilatun Nessa Indira at the event said it is the month of fulfilling the social, political, and economic dreams of the Bangali nation dreamt by Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.
Bangalis are now recognized as an independent nation with their own land and flag, she added.
The state minister later added that under the leadership and guidance of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the empowerment of women started in Bangladesh.
“He gave equal rights to women in the Constitution, awarded heroic honours to women who suffered oppression in the great Liberation War, and rehabilitated them,” she added.
She also noted that Begum Rokeya is the pioneer of Bangali Muslim women's awakening.
She has contributed immensely to women's education, rights, and empowerment. The government is awarding the Begum Rokeya Padak to inspire women to commemorate Begum Rokeya's contributions, reads the press release.
The five prominent women who received Begum Rokeya Padak this year are - Rahima Khatun from Faridpur for her contribution to women's education; Prof Kamrun Nahar Begum (Advocate) from Chittagong for her contribution to the establishment of women's rights; Farida Yasmin from Satkhira for her special contribution to women's socio-economic development; Dr Afroza Parveen from Narail for her contribution to the enlightenment of women through literature and culture; Nasima Begum from Jhenaidah for her contribution in rural development.
The Begum Rokeya Padak, named after Begum Rokeya, is a Bangladeshi national honour conferred on individual women for their exceptional achievements.
The award, given by the Ministry of Women & Children Affairs, recognizes the pioneering contribution of an individual in empowering women and raising women's issues.
Each of the recipients will be awarded a medal made of 25 grams of eighteen-carat gold, a replica of the medal, a cheque for Tk400,000, and a certificate of appreciation.
The press conference also informed the speeches of President M Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will be released on the occasion of Begum Rokeya Day.
The award ceremony will also be broadcast live on Bangladesh Television, Bangladesh Betar.
