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Women leaders and legal experts on Saturday welcomed the Election Commission’s proposal for ensuring 33 per cent of women’s representation in all committees of the political parties, and said the country and politics would be benefited if the proposal is implemented.
   Speaking at the BBC Bangladesh Sanglap on ‘Women’s Rights and Development’, they held the male-dominated political culture responsible for not empowering women and suggested that the EC implement the proposals at any cost to ensure women’s rights.
   ‘In order to intrinsically change the political culture of the country, 33 per cent women’s representation will have to be kept by any means in committees of all levels of the political parties,’ said Ayesha Khanam, president of the Bangladesh Mohila Parishad, at the Sanglap held at the Bangladesh-China Friendship Conference Centre.
   Executive director of Manusher Jonno Foundation, Shaheen Anam, moderated the Sanglap in which executive committee member of Naripaksha and BRAC University’s Professor Dr Firdous Azim, renowned classical dancer Shamim Ara Nipa and Supreme Court’s Barrister Fatema Anwar also participated as panellists.
   The BBC Bangla Service, along with the BBC World Service Trust, organised the event produced by Waliur Rahman Miraz of the BBC World Service, said a press release.
   Terming the proposals logical, the panellists said the male-dominated political culture used the two leaders — Sheikh Hasina and Khaleda Zia — only to save the Awami League and BNP when the parties’ existence had been threatened by internal conflicts and lack of central leaders.
   Barrister Fatema said that if the proposal is implemented, the competent and eligible women could come forward and contribute to the policymaking of the political parties. ‘If the male-dominated rural mindset is not changed, then there will be little positive result.’
   Nipa said that as lots of women participate in the political parties’ processions and demonstrations, 33 per cent representation should be included at all levels of the parties.
   Fatema, responding to a query, said the proposed National Women Development Policy on women’s equal inheritance rights is contradictory to the existing Islamic laws, while three other panellists said the Constitution guarantees that all citizens’ rights are equal.
   They urged the government to implement effective laws to stop harassment, oppression and torture of women including eve teasing.

Rights groups and socio-political organisations marked International Women’s Day on Saturday putting out a call for ‘investing in women and girls,’ the theme of the day for the year.
   The Bangladesh Institute of Labour Studies organised a discussion where representatives of different political, social, cultural and human rights organisations stressed the need for a national convention to protect the rights of working women.
   The BILS presentation at the discussion highlighted the need for such a convention as the labour Law 2006 does not cover 80 per cent of women in the workforce.
   It pointed out that more than 90 per cent of about half a million women who join the workforce every year were not covered by the labour law.
   The Department of Mass Communications held a campaign across the country through its 68 information offices. The United Nations Population Fund also conducted mobile campaigns in the
   capital city.
   The campaign was aimed at creating awareness among the people of improving the standards of women and children’s life, women education, empowerment and repression, and combating child marriage and advocating rights equality for women.
   The International Women’s Day Celebration Committee organised a discussion and a cultural programme at the Dhanmondi Club at 3:30pm.
   The South Asia Partnership Bangladesh and Padakshep Manabik Unnayan Kendra brought out a procession from the Shishu Academy at 9:00am.
   The Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy, Orenda Communication, Chinese embassy in Dhaka and the Bangladesh International Film Movement jointly held Personality Award and Film Festival 2008 at the Shilpakala Academy at 4:00pm.
   The CARE Bangladesh along with Social Action Committee, with the help of Bangladesh Mahila Parishad, organised a gathering at the Shaheed Minar at 3:00pm where a declaration paper was read out.
   The women and gender studies department at Dhaka University marked the occasion with a procession, a poster exhibition and a discussion.
   Non-governmental organisation Nari Unnayan Shakti organised various events in 22 places such as Dhaka, Chittagong, Barisal and Feni.
   A cultural programme and a discussion on combating
   sexual abuse and trafficking in women and children were held at Bhuia Para of Khilgaon in Dhaka.

Several hundred officials and employees sacked from the state-owned Essential Drugs Company Limited in 2007 on Saturday demanded immediate reinstatement of their jobs.
   The officials and employees at a briefing at the Dhaka Reporters Unity in Dhaka put forth the demand.
   They alleged that the company, set up in 1983, made kept making profit till 2006, but the management in 2007 on the excuse of incurring losses sacked at least 800 officials and employees.
   The management fired the employees and officials illegally. Most of them had worked there for 22 to 23 years. They alleged the management had fired on the excuse of excess manpower.
   They said one of their fellows, Talukdar Iftekharul Islam, died on January 19, 2008 of a cardiac arrest after he had lost his job.
   They said vested-interest quarters patronised by former managing director Harun-or-Rashid had misappropriated a huge amount of money in 2007 and the managing director left the place after a committee, led by a joint secretary, had been formed to investigate the matter.
   The committee submitted the report accusing the managing director and 25 other high officials of being involved in the scam, but some officials managed to hide the report and misled the acting managing director to sack the officials and employees, they said.
   They said the management violated the labour laws in terminating their jobs and even published a recruitment notice in daily newspapers on January 28, 2008.
   They demanded punishment of the high officials who misled the acting managing director to terminate their jobs.
   The officials and employees urged the intervention of the chief adviser and the army chief into the matter.
   The sacked employees and officials’ association convener, Abul Kalam Patuary, members Altaf Hossain and Hanif Hawlader, and Yadab Chandra Biwas attended the briefing.

The Progressive Democratic Party convener Ferdaus Ahmad Quarishi on Saturday said an adviser to the caretaker government and the chief election commissioner were making ‘contradictory’ comments that tarnishing their own images.
   Referring to the announcement made by LGRD and cooperatives adviser Anwarul Iqbal for holding the elections to 100 upazilas and the comment made by the chief election commissioner ATM Shamsul Huda that he was unaware of this, Quarishi said this was an example of lack of coordination between the government and the EC.
   ‘Required changes should be made both in the government and Election Commission as some members were interested to return to political situation before January 11, 2007,’ Quarishi told a press conference held at the party’s Segunbagicha office.
   He also demanded withdrawal of ban on political activities immediately as political parties started their activities before the local government elections.
   Party leaders Tajul Islam Chowdhury and Noor Mohammad Khan were present at the press conference.

Yet another NGO fled its office in Golapganj upazila with Tk 50 lakh depositors’ money on Thursday midnight, throwing over 500 of its depositors in great frustration.
   The NGO, known as Islamic Development Foundation, had earlier promised to return the money to the depositors from their poura-area office on May 9 in presence of its high officials.
   But, the depositors
   came to know about the
   disappearance of the NGO officials on Friday and informed police.
   The IDF started its activities in Golapganj upazila a month before in the name of providing loans.
   They had collected Tk 1,000 from a person for giving Tk 10,000 against the deposit while Tk 2,000 for Tk 20,000, and eventually committed the confidence trick.

The Workers Party of Bangladesh faction led by Khandaker Ali Abbas on Saturday urged the government to scrap its proposed plan for holding the local government elections before the national election.
   During the first session of a three-day meeting held at its central office, politburo members said the countrymen would not accept the plan for holding the local government elections before the national election as it might delay the implementation of the election roadmap announced by the Election Commission for holding the national election.
   The unelected and undemocratic governments in the past also held such elections for strengthening their political bases at grassroots level, they said.
   Chaired by Khandaker Ali Abbas, the meeting was addressed, among others, by party’s general secretary Saiful Huq, politburo members Nasiruddin Nasu, Raza Mia and Abdus Salam.