Calling on women not to back down in achieving their rights, Fisheries and Livestock Adviser Farida Akhtar said, there is no alternative to women achieving their qualifications; they cannot survive on anyone's mercy. Women's rights must be achieved by women. If women officials and employees come forward to achieve their rights, we will come forward for you with double speed.
She said these things in her speech as the chief guest at a discussion meeting on the occasion of International Women's Day-2025 at the conference room of the Department of Livestock on Tuesday (March 11) morning.
The adviser said, this year's International Women's Day in the country has started with some bad incidents. And through these incidents, an attempt is being made to present the government in a bad light and there are many reasons to believe that. Again, in some cases, women have not yet been provided with security in society. She also said, we do not know the language to describe or condemn the brutality and violence of some people in society.
Calling for direct elections for women in the National Parliament, the adviser said that seats can be reserved for women for a few days. Here, arrangements should be made so that any woman, not just political parties, can participate in the elections. But no previous government has been able to create such a system which is sad for women.
Calling for accelerating work on gender equality, the adviser said that if the work continues at the pace that is being done, there will be equality between men and women in the next century. Therefore, it cannot continue at this pace. It is because of this day that women have been able to raise their basic demands today and speak about their rights.
Mentioning that there are no women or men in fascism - fascism is fascism, he said that fascism in Bangladesh did not develop just because of one person, but rather because of structural reasons. And in this way, one person has become a symbol of fascism, which is very sad.
Chaired by Director of the Department of Livestock Dr. Begum Shamshun Nahar Ahmed, the director general of the department Dr. Md. Abu Sufian, director of administration, Dr. Md. Boyzar Rahman, assistant professor of BCS Livestock Academy, Dr. Kausin Mobasher, Dhaka District Livestock Officer, Basna Akhtar, and deputy director, Dr. Sharmin Samad, also spoke. The welcome speech was delivered by Dr. Tahmina Begum, principal scientific officer of the Livestock Research Institute.