policymakers
Discussion on 'gender-friendly public places' held in city
An interactive discussion involving stakeholders and young activists was held in the capital on Monday to raise mass awareness to make public places gender-friendly.
Activists also raised their questions before the policymakers.
Findings of a survey, conducted in 24 districts, over a gamut of issues including harassment in public transport and cyberbullying were presented before a group of over 200 young achievers and volunteers in the discussion.
The Policy Café is part of a collaborative nationwide campaign on 'Women's Safety in Public Places' by Young Bangla, the largest youth platform of the Centre for Research and Information (CRI), United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)-HRP, and National Human Rights Commission(NHRC).
Moderated by Prime Minister’s former special assistant Barrister Shah Ali Farhad, the host of the panel was graced by Van Nguyen, Deputy Resident Representative, UNDP Bangladesh.
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Law Minister Anisul Haque, Dhaka North City Corporation Mayor Atiqul Islam, Bangladesh Nari Progati Sangha (BNPS) Executive Director Rokeya Kabir, BPWN President Amena Begum, and National Human Rights Commission Bangladesh (NHRCB) Honorary Member Jesmin Ara Begum. among others, spoke the event.
Instances of rape and harassment still exist though the legal shield against such acts has helped curb many other social vices including stalking and child marriage, speakers opined.
BNP’s meetings with central leaders to begin Tuesday
BNP policymakers are going to sit with the party’s vice-chairmen and advisory council members of its chairperson on Tuesday as part of their planned series of meetings with central leaders to work out their next course of action.
The meeting will begin at 3:30pm at the party chairperson’s Gulshan office.
The BNP policymakers will also hold a meeting with the party’s senior joint secretary general, secretaries general, organising secretaries and assistant organising secretaries on Wednesday and another with the leaders of different associate bodies on Thursday.
The meetings are meant for taking opinions of the party central leaders about the next general election, anti-government movement and work out the party’s next course of action.
Talking to UNB, BNP secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said they have decided to hold a series of meetings with their party’s central leaders to discuss the overall political situation in the country.
“We’ll take their views on what we should do for waging a movement to restore democracy,” he said.
Fakhrul said their party wants a permanent solution to the issue of the formation of an Election Commission. But before that, we want a neutral government under which a neutral election commission will be formed.”
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He said the problem over the formation of a polls-time impartial government must be resolved for holding an inclusive and credible national election.
BNP organising secretary Syed Emran Saleh Prince said Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir and the standing committee members will initially hold three separate meetings with the central leaders.
Later, the BNP policymakers will hold meetings with the members of the party's national executive committee and district-level leaders.
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He said BNP acting chairman Tarique Rahman will virtually join each of the meetings.