JS budget session begins

The sitting of the eleventh session of the 10th parliament resumed this afternoon.

Finance Minister AMA Muhith is scheduled to place the national budget for the next fiscal year (2016-17) tomorrow.

Some important bills including Foreign Donations [Regulation] Amendment Act may be passed in the budget session.

Prime Minister and Leader of the House Sheikh Hasina today renewed her government's firm commitment to continue work for changing the lot of womenfolk to build a happy and prosperous nation, reports BSS.

"I would like to firmly say that we would continue to work for the change of the womenfolk of the country in the days to come ..... we would move another step forward to build happy and prosperous Sonar Bangla as dreamt by Bangabandhu through ensuring women empowerment and development," she said.

The Premier's assertion came while responding to a starred question from treasury bench member Begum Fazilatun Nesa Bappi (women reserved seat-30) during her question answer session in the House.

Sheikh Hasina said whenever Awami League came to power, it worked relentlessly for empowerment of women and establishing their equal scope and rights by involving them in the mainstream of national development.

"During our present tenure, we have given the utmost priority to the women empowerment and their uplift .... we believe that we would be able to implement the Vision 2021 and the Vision 2041, if we could properly integrate the women, half of the total population, in the successful journey of development and progress," she said.

Upholding that belief, she said, our government immediately after assuming the office again in 2014 took different constructive initiatives one after another for women development and we worked for executing these steps properly.

The Prime Minister said because of these initiatives, the womenfolk of the country have been playing a strong role in trade and commerce, politics, diplomacy, judiciary, administration, armed forces, law enforcement agencies and UN Peacekeeping Missions.

"These brave movement and strong activities of our womenfolk are being highly acclaimed on the world stage," she said.

Sheikh Hasina said many leaders including UNESCO Director General Irina Bokova congratulated her during the recent Global Women Leaders' Forum held in Sofia, Bulgaria for the stunning success in the women empowerment and development.

In this connection, she mentioned that UNESCO and Council of Women in Business in Bulgaria, the hosts of the Global Women Leaders' Forum, invited her on earning the recognition of a "role model" in women empowerment on the world stage by Bangladesh.

The Prime Minister also elaborated various facilities given by her government for expansion of female education in the country.