The government is going to award five women with the prestigious ‘Begum Rokeya Padak, 2022’ for their extraordinary contribution to various sectors, to commemorate Begum Rokeya’s contribution to women’s empowerment.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina as the chief guest will hand over the ‘Begum Rokeya Padak, 2022’, to the recipients at Osmani Memorial Auditorium in Dhaka at 10am Friday, read a press release.
“Begum Rokeya is the pioneer of Bengali Muslim women's awakening... The government is awarding the medal in remembrance of her phenomenal contribution towards womankind," said State Minister for Women and Child Affairs Fazilatun Nessa Indira.
Speaking at a press meet in the conference room of the Press Information Department of the secretariat in Dhaka on Thursday, the state minister also said that Begum Rokeya Day, to be observed Friday, is a source of endless motivation for women.
"The importance of the day is immense for the socio-economic development of women's society in Bangladesh, protection of women's rights, empowerment of women and creation of equality," she said.
Each of the Begum Rokeya Padak recipients will be awarded a gold medal, a check of Tk 4,00,000 and a certificate.
Rahima Khatun of Faridpur district won the award this year for her special contribution to women’s education, Professor Kamrun Nahar Begum, also an Advocate, of Chittagong district won the medal for her special contribution to the establishment of women’s rights, and Farida Yasmin of Satkhira district was awarded for her special contribution to the field of women’s socio-economic development.
Dr Afroza Parveen of Narail district and Nachima Begum of Jhenaidah district received the Begum Rokeya Padak this year for their special contribution to the field of women’s awakening through literature and culture and the field of rural development respectively added the press release.
President, PM issue messages
President Md Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Thursday issued separate messages paying respect to the memory of Begum Rokeya for her contribution to spreading education for women.
Both the president and prime minister congratulated the five women on receiving “Begum Rokeya Padak 2022”.
In his message, President Abdul Hamid said Begum Rokeya had made a significant contribution to illuminating the deprived and neglected women with the light of education.
“She was not only a pioneer in women’s education, but also a dedicated social worker with many talents,” he said.
The president said Begum Rokeya was able to realise with foresight that education and equal rights between men and women were very important in improving the fate of women.
Abdul Hamid said the present government is taking and implementing various programmes and policies for the women who are making a wonderful contribution to every field of development in the way Begum Rokeya had shown.
The president urged all to come forward to establish a non-discriminatory society by implementing Begum Rokeya’s dream.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, in her message, said she is happy to know that Begum Rokeya Day-2022 will be celebrated to commemorate the contribution of Begum Rokeya, a pioneer of Bengali women’s education, a social reformer and a litterateur.
Paying homage to the social reformer, the premier said Begum Rokeya was a far-sighted modern woman as she realised the importance of women’s education alongside men for the overall development of society and the state.
“This realisation and ideal of her still inspires us,” she added.
Sheikh Hasina said Begum Rokeya raised voice about the need for women education and building an equality-based society between men and women through her essays, stories and novels.
The premier said Awami League (AL) believes in equal rights for men and women and following the footprint of Bangabandhu, the government led by AL is taking many pragmatic programmes in favour of women.
“Our government has ensured participation of women in all spheres of national life,” she said, adding that Bangladesh ranked 7th in the world in political empowerment of women. Women represent 70 per cent of health workers and over 80 per cent of garment workers, she said.
She said Bangladesh got various international awards, including the ‘Agent of Change’ and ‘Planet 50-50 Champion’ for her government’s outstanding contributions to women empowerment.
Preparations afoot to observe Rokeya Day at Pairaband
The district administration has completed preparations to observe the Rokeya Day 2022 at the birthplace Pairaband village of Begum Rokeya in Mithapukur upazila of the district.
Officials said the three-day programs have been taken to observe the day from Friday with placing of wreaths at Begum Rokeya Smritistambha in Pairaband village and hoisting of the national flag at 10 am.
The inaugural day programs include milad mehfil, screening of documentary films, spontaneous blood donation, blood group tests, inauguration of three-day `Rokeya Fair' and debate competition followed by discussion and cultural functions.
Artists of ‘Joybangla Sangskritik Jyote’, ‘Kholeya Ganjipur Kochikonther Asor’, ‘Begum Rokeya Shakhawat Sangskritik Gosthi, Pairaband’, and ‘Pairaband Begum Rokeya Smritikendra’ will participate in the inaugural day cultural functions.
On Saturday, drawing, poem recitation, essay writing and debate competitions for students in different categories and screening of documentary films on women empowerment will be organised.
Besides, a discussion on ‘Role of women in socioeconomic development’ followed by staging of dramas and cultural function will be organised on the second day.
In the cultural functions on the second day, Artists of ‘Paglapeer Shishu Sangeet Bidfylaya’, ‘District Shilpokola Academy’ and ‘Begum Rokeya Shakhawat Sangskritik Gosthi’ will participate.
On Sunday, the final rounds of debate competitions followed by discussion on the life and works of Begum Rokeya, distribution of prizes and medals, staging of dramas and cultural functions will be organised at Pairaband village.
Artists of ‘Rangpur Nattya Kendra’ will stage drama ‘Shasti’ and while artists of ‘Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy, Mithapukur’, local artists, invited artists from different cultural organisations. They will render programs in the concluding day cultural functions.
President of Bangla Academy, Swadhinata and Ekushey Padak winning writer and novelist Selina Hossain, its Director General Mohammad Nurul Huda, Divisional Commissioner Sabirul Islam, Rangpur Metropolitan Police Commissioner Nure Alam Mina, Deputy Commissioner Chitralekha Nazneen, Mithapukur Upazila Officer Fatematuz Zohra, high officials, academies, political leaders, sociocultural and literary personalities, will participate in the three-day programs.
Begum Rokeya was born in the village Pairaband of Rangpur on December 9, 1880 and died on the same day in 1932 in Kolkata.
The great woman struggled all through her life for establishing women’s rights, freedom, education, empowerment and economic emancipation creating a renaissance in the then highly conservative and British-ruled colonial society in the sub-continent.
The birth and death anniversaries of Begum Rokeya are officially being observed as Rokeya Day since 1994 at Pairaband village under Mithapukur upazila in Rangpur.
