History
Bangladesh Jatiotabadi Mohila Dal is 3rd largest wing of Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP). It was founded on 9th September 1978 by former Bangladesh Martyr President Ziaur Rahman after the Presidential election of 1978, with a view to women’s empowerment.
How much culturally and socially enriched a society, depends on the freedom of women’s right and the scope of development activities for women. Our founder martyr president Ziaur Rahman gave his views about the impact of the importance of women in society. Even he mentioned in 19 points party agenda about the importance of women and clearly mentioned in 11 points about the proper respect and responsibilities towards women in our society. Our beloved founder chairman told the principle medium of profound politics is a workable organisation. On 16th May 1978 in an inauguration he told that half of the population in this country is women; they will get all kind of facilities to participate in the development of society. A nation cannot be developed with the backward of women’s development. If you really want prosperity then we need to utilise every working hand. To contrary to this great idealism, on 9Th. September 1980 he founded Bangladesh Jatiotabadi Mohila Dal, he increased the number of woman parliamentarian from 15 to 30 and gave the opportunities for women empowerment in politics.
On 1982 to abolish the dowry system he established a law against the dowry for women and protect the women from social amusement as a selling product and also took the step to stop social and physical abuse towards the women.
To engage and encourage women in the mainstream of country’s development, he established Jatio Mohila Songstha during 1976 and later established an independent Ministry of Women Affairs of the Government of Bangladesh.
The Bangladesh Ansar and The Village Defence Party (VDPs) are a paramilitary auxiliary force responsible for the preservation of internal security and law enforcement in Bangladesh, Martyr president Ziaur Rahman stablished VDP to specifically charged with working on village development and welfare schemes, the VDP team consists of 32 male and 32 female members , thus he gave the recognition of women empowerment in community development to build a great nation and country.
He developed our garments sector into an export-oriented sector and gave the opportunities of women participation in this sector and encourage them in country’s economic activities. During 1978-80 in two-year development plan he made a separate budget for women and included the women sector in human development program called Gender Development Planning. In this development activities, several steps are taken for women employment and skill development.
Thus the way he established a country based on Justice, gender equality based on economic and social principle, so women can access their basic human rights treat as a respected human being not a commodity in the social phenomena.
The dream and the views of women empowerment which our Beloved Martyr President Ziaur Rahman showed us, as an avid successor former prime minister Begum Khaleda Zia continue his legacy and to establish social awareness of women achievement, she took several necessary steps for women empowerment culturally, socially and economically.
She mentioned 1991-2000 is the decade of the girl in the international Beijing conference, to increase women literacy in the country is the highest political achievement for her during late 1990. She introduced compulsory primary education along with mass education policy she included a stipend for primary education, food for education, free tuition fee up to the intermediate level for girls and arranged an extra scholarship for girls.
She introduced Begam Rokeya Award by for the contribution of women in various social aspects. During 1995 she accepted and signed 12 points of the “Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action”, for development of women’s affairs, to reduce discrimination towards women, introduce several policies to women basic rights and empowerment.
During 2001-2006 because of her policy for girls education such as stipend unto intermediate level, and free tuition fee gained the participation of girls in education and gender equality among the young generation.
To abolish the discrimination and domestic abuse against girls and women she introduced special act and later is was amendment 2000 and 2003 consequently and passed the bill in parliament. She established National Forensic DNA profiling laboratories in Dhaka Medical College and later expanded to five division in Bangladesh, the women get proper justice for the domestic and sexual abuse against them.
The Asian University for Women established in Chittagong in her term and 5 vocational institutes also established in five divisional districts, She always encouraged the Parents and said, ” It’s your responsibility to send the girls for education, Government will bear the expenditure. If girls are educated then the nation will be educated, an educated girl is an asset rather than a burden”.
She also introduced 60% quota for women employees in primary education to reduce the gender gap to fulfil the strategic gender need. In her term time, She passed “Institute of Child and Mother Health ACT -2002”, it raised the awareness about mother and child health issues and give proper medication. The policy of women’s development which were not accepted in Awami League cabinet in 1997, Begum Khaleda Zia accepted all those policies for the development of women and to safeguard the women’s right as an amendment and accepted in her cabinet, later Awami League continued these policies and amendment if farther in 2011. During the term of AL, the acid attacks became a social abuse against women it drastically risen, to control and crush the acid attack she pass to bill “Acid Repression Act-2002” and “Acid Control Act-2002”, on the other hand, she established a national council for controlling the use of acid, and accumulate this gender-based matter in (2002-2007) five year planning.
The contribution of women participation and their breviary in the freedom fight in 1971, Begum Khaleda Zia awarded Taramon Bibi in 2003, Bir Protik, for her breviary in freedom fight and recognised the women contribution in liberation war after 22 years of gaining independence.
She passed the bill, “Reserved Seat for Women in Election act-2004” and increase the seat for women parliamentarian from 300 to 45 and showed her sincerity for empowering the women contribution in politics and daily life.
To be continued………
(under construction)