President recalls her role
Tuesday, 9 December 2014
The 134rd birth and 82nd death anniversaries of Begum Rokeya Sakhawat Hossain, the pioneer of awakening for women's rights in the subcontinent, will be observed today (Tuesday) amid various programmes in the capital and elsewhere across the country, reports BSS.
The programmes of the day include milad mahfil, placing wreaths on her portraits, discussions, cultural functions and "Begum Rokeya Award -2014" giving ceremony.
Begum Rokeya was born in village Pairaband on December 9 in 1880 and died on the same day in 1932 in Kolkata.
On the occasion, the President Md Abdul Hamid and the Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina Monday gave separate messages paying their rich tributes to the memory of Rokeya, who had struggled for establishing women rights, freedom, education, empowerment, economic emancipation and movements creating a renaissance in the then highly conservative and British-ruled colonial society.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will distribute the prizes among the award-winners on the occasion in capital's Osmani Memorial auditorium at 10:00 am.
Meanwhile, President Md Abdul Hamid paid rich tribute to the memory of Begum Rokeya Sakhawat Hossain recalling her pioneering role in awakening women about their rights in the then Indian subcontinent.
"The people will always recall the outstanding and historic contribution of Begum Rokeya to Bengali womenfolk," the President said this in a statement marking the Begum Rokeya Day.
The President recalled with respect that in nineteenth century Rokeya took the first step to enlighten the Muslim womenfolk overcoming the then an adverse and conservative environment against women education when society forced them to stay indoors.
He said Rokeya freed the women from captivity as he instilled into them a dream for self-empowerment and dignity. The President observed Rokeya's campaign eventually created a social revolution in the field of woman education.
The President called upon all people to put in their concerted efforts to ensure a peaceful society to materialise the dream of Begum Rokeya in this new century.