Dhaka: International Women’s Day will be observed tomorrow across the country as elsewhere in the world with a call for ensuring women’s participation in all spheres of the national development to build a prosperous country.

On the eve of the day, President Mohammad Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina issued separate messages, greeting all women across the world.

In their messages, they said the day’s theme ‘Samoy Ekhon Nareer: Unnayane Tara, Badle Jacche Gram-Shahore Karma Jibon Dhara’ is time befitting in the current perspective and wished success of all programmes of the day.

In his message, President Md Abdul Hamid said the present government is implementing various plans to ensure security and free access to workplaces for women and their participation in the policy making levels, including establishing rights and spreading education for them.

‘Now, the backward women are even the stakeholder of the national development,’ the President said, adding that the women participation in commercial activities is increasing day by day.

Referring to different successes of the country in women empowerment, he said Bangladesh is now globally recognized as the role model of women empowerment.

In her message, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina recalled with respect the national and international pioneers of women wakening and 2 lakh women who lost their dignity during the country’s War of Liberation in 1971.

She urged all to work together for building a developed and prosperous country by ensuring women’s development, participation and rights in every sphere of the national development.

Referring to different laws and policies, including National Women Development Policy 2011, taken to protect women rights, the premier said, ‘The Awami League government has been implementing various programmes for the last nine years attaching priority to the women empowerment and development’.

The government, she said, has also introduced maternity allowance, allowance for lactating mothers and allowances for widows-divorced and repressed women and maternity leave has been extended to six months to ensure social security for women.

The women are playing a vital role in different areas, including politics, judiciary, administration, education, health, armed forces and law enforcing agencies, due to the time befitting and pragmatic measures of the government, the premier added.

Different countries and international organizations, including the United Nations (UN), praised the government for attaching priority to development of the womenfolk, Sheikh Hasina said.

‘We achieved UN Millennium Development Award, South South Award, Planet 50-50 Champion for success in women development and UNESCO ‘Peace Tree’ for gender parity in education sector,’ she added.