International Women’s Day (IWD) is being observed across Bangladesh today, as in the rest of the world, under the theme ‘Rights, Equality, Empowerment/Development of Women and Girls.’ Various women’s organizations, social groups, and political parties have organized special programs to mark the occasion.
Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus issued a message on Friday, expressing hope that Bangladeshi women will continue to advance alongside the developed world in building a prosperous Bangladesh.
Highlighting the significant role of women in the recent students-people movement, Dr Yunus noted that women were at the forefront of the July-August mass uprising, which aimed to bring about the country’s democratic transformation.
To commemorate the day, the Ministry of Women and Children Affairs has planned various events.
The Jatiya Press Club (JPC) will host a discussion at Zahur Hossain Chowdhury Hall at 11:00 AM, with JPC President Hasan Hafiz presiding over the event.
Additionally, the Bangladesh Legal Aid and Services Trust (BLAST) will organize a rickshaw rally from Banani Beltola to Karail Ground at 11:30 AM. Members and players from BLAST’s youth and women’s football teams will participate in the event.
The Bangladesh Jatiyotabadi Mohila Dal has also planned a colorful rally, which will begin at 11:00 AM in front of the BNP central office and parade through city streets before returning to the same venue. BNP National Standing Committee member Begum Selima Rahman will attend as the chief guest, while Advocate Ruhul Kabir Rizvi Ahmed, the party’s senior joint secretary general, will be the main speaker.
International Women’s Day (IWD) is celebrated annually on 8 March. It originated when the Socialist Party of America organized a Women’s Day in New York on 28 February 1909. The idea of an annual Women’s Day was later proposed at the 1910 International Socialist Women’s Conference.
In 1917, after women gained suffrage in Soviet Russia, 8 March became a national holiday there. Initially observed mainly by socialist movements and communist countries, the day was officially recognized by the United Nations in 1975 and has since become a global celebration of women’s rights and achievements.
