Family Card a landmark step towards women’s empowerment: Rizvi

BNP acting secretary general Ruhul Kabir Rizvi said on Saturday that the government’s Family Card initiative to support distressed, helpless and poor families would play a landmark role in empowering women.

He made the remarks before a rally organised by the Jatiyatabadi Mohila Dal to mark its 48th founding anniversary in the capital’s Nayapaltan.

Rizvi stressed the importance of education and financial self-reliance in empowering women. He said women must become educated and financially self-reliant, adding that the government has taken various initiatives to help them achieve financial independence.

Referring to government initiatives in education, he said former prime minister Khaleda Zia had introduced free education for girls up to the intermediate level, while PM Tarique Rahman had proposed making education free for girls up to the degree and honours levels.

“This is public welfare and women’s empowerment,” Rizvi said, urging Mohila Dal leaders and activists to inform people about the government’s programmes to educate women and make them financially self-reliant.

He also said the Jatiyatabadi Mohila Dal would work to eliminate rape, violence against women and children, and all forms of wrongdoing from society.

Rizvi urged Mohila Dal leaders and activists to play a responsible role in informing people about government programmes aimed at ensuring women’s civic and legal rights and making them educated and financially self-reliant.

He said not every party leader and activist would become a minister or lawmaker, but representatives of the party had become lawmakers and ministers. “Therefore, their success is also the success of every leader and activist of the party,” he said.

Rizvi said the leaders of the Jatiyatabadi Mohila Dal at district, metropolitan and central levels were highly competent and equally capable of running the state or institutions.

Recalling the repression faced by Mohila Dal leaders and activists during the BNP’s movement, Rizvi said many female leaders, including Afroza Abbas and Sultana Ahmed, had been arrested, placed on remand and sent to jail at different times. They were taken to the Detective Branch office, produced before courts and kept in jail for months, he said.

“Your blood and sweat are part of the government led by Prime Minister Tarique Rahman. Therefore, you are also part of this government,” Rizvi said.

Rizvi called on Mohila Dal leaders and activists to highlight the government’s programmes among the people, particularly those related to economic development and social protection, with special emphasis on initiatives for women.

Praising the role of Mohila Dal leaders and activists during the BNP’s movement, Rizvi said they had taken to the streets despite police cordons, repression, false cases, remand and killings. He said they had remained active on the streets under the leadership of Afroza Abbas.

Rizvi urged them to continue working, as in the past, to implement Prime Minister Tarique Rahman’s pro-people and women’s empowerment programmes, saying this was their primary responsibility.

Jatiyatabadi Mohila Dal President Afroza Abbas, General Secretary Sultana Ahmed and other leaders were present at the event.