Online Desk: Speaker of Parliament Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury on Saturday said there will be a time when women will be elected to direct seats and not to reserved seats.

She said this in the  “National Aparajita Conference” organized by Aparajita Network which was held at Bangabandhu International Conference Centre in the capital.

Chief Guest Dr. Shirin Sharmin Chowdhury said the current government is women friendly. Women are moving forward and it is visible in different parts of the state due to the right decision of the Prime Minister.

Urging the participants of the conference to work together to make the way of the implementation of women’s rights easy, she said that the laws and policies of the state should be easier.

Former Culture Minister Asaduzzaman as special guests said, “There may be criticism, then I will say that the most work has been done for women’s rights and development during the tenure of this government. Women are moving forward.”

Member of parliament Amatul Kibria said, “We women are in today’s seat after a lot of hard work. I hope the Aparajita sisters will make the hard work easier from today’s conference.”

Another member of parliament Arma Dutta said the more women participate in the political arena, the easier it will be to participate in elections.

Nasima Zaman Bobby MP said that women are always marginalized in elections and politics, especially in elections.

Ambassador of the Swiss Embassy in Bangladesh Reto Siegfried Renggli said that the participation of women and men in the Aparajita conference is important in the politics and elections of Bangladesh.  Participation will increase exponentially in the future, he also said.

In the second session of the seminar on women’s political empowerment, the speakers said that the main reason for grassroots women not being empowered is the patriarchal social system.

The seminar was attended by Bangladesh Works Party President Rashed Khan Menon-MP, Jatiya Party Co-Chairman Barrister Anisul Islam Mahmud MP, Bangladesh Awami League Joint General Secretary Afom Bahauddin Nashim MP, Bangladesh Nationalist Party National Standing Committee Member Nazrul Islam Khan, Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal General Editor Shirin Akhtar. Aparajita Fahmida Munni of Barisal division read the main article on political empowerment. Jagannath University Vice Chancellor Professor Sadeka Halim and Women for Women President Zakia K Hasan were panel discussants on women empowerment.

Social Welfare minister Dipu Moni who was the chief guest of the closing session said women in so-called developed countries have the same problem.

Executive Director of Gana Swarakshata Abhiyan Rasheda K Chowdhury, Switzerland Embassy Deputy and Head of Co-Operation Corinne Henchoz Pignani and Helvetas Bangladesh Country Director Benjamin Blumenthal were present as special guests.

More than 300 grassroots women leaders, executive directors of implementing organizations including 30 women-friendly chairmen/members, Switzerland Embassy Program Manager Sabina Yasmin Lubna, representatives of Helvitas Bangladesh, civil society, officials of the four organizations implementing the Aparajita project, Prep Trust, Khan Foundation, Transformation and Democracy Watch, attended the conference while 72 women and men were honoured for their special contribution in various fields of Aparajitas, encouraging participation of Aparajitas in elections and politics by men and family members.