Health and Family Welfare Minister Zahid Maleque on Wednesday said Bangladesh is working on demographic dividend aiming to turn its population into a capable workforce to accelerate economic progress.
“Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina does not see the country’s high population as a burden. With her dynamic leadership, the population has been turned into an efficient workforce,” he told a function, an official release said.
As the present government has implemented a massive development programme, the health minister said adding gender parity has been ensured in all spheres of development and other key areas of society.
He said Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has created a silent revolution in the empowerment of women in the country in the last 15 years.
“Currently, if you go to any government or private office in the country, you can see almost equal presence of men and women,” Maleque made the observation while addressing a function marking the world Population Day-2023.
Around 70 per cent of women work in the country’s garment industry keeping the wheels of the country’s economy vibrant, he said adding similarly, women have come forward at an equal pace in government jobs, industry, trade and agriculture.
Despite tremendous advancement of women empowerment, Maleque said, there are some challenges as early marriage still exists in the country.
