By IANS,
Dhaka : Bangladesh’s parliament will more than double the number of seats reserved for women and repeal laws that discriminate against women, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has said.
Addressing the inaugural ceremony of the International Women’s Day at Osmani Memorial Hall here, she said: “We will reintroduce the National Women Development Policy adopted during the last Awami League government’s tenure. We gave nomination to maximum number of women for contesting the December 29 polls.”
Right now Bangladesh’s parliament, the Jatiyo Shangshad, has 45 seats reserved for women out of a total of 300 members. Hasina said it would now have 100 seats reserved for women members.
“A maximum number of women have also been inducted in the cabinet. We believe in political empowerment of women to ensure their social dignity and contribution to economical activities.
“It is not possible to establish women’s rights and stop violence against women only by enacting laws and observing women’s day. Rather there should be proper coordination at government and non-government levels,” Hasina was quoted as saying by Daily Star.
She spoke of women’s role during the Liberation War in 1971. “Some 200,000 women were oppressed by the Pakistani army and their collaborators.”