Instead of a cake-cutting celebration, State Minister for Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives Mir Shahe Alam MP marked Barrister Zaima Rahman’s birthday with gifts for students and medical care for people in need.
On Sunday, pink bicycles were handed to 548 meritorious schoolgirls from Shibganj and Mokamtala upazilas in Bogura. In addition, 1,500 students were given special mugs bearing Barrister Zaima Rahman’s picture.
State Minister Mir Shahe Alam was chief guest at the event, held on the Shibganj Pilot High School grounds.
The programme, marking the birthday of Barrister Zaima Rahman, daughter of Prime Minister Tarique Rahman and Dr Zubaida Rahman, aims to promote girls’ education, make it easier for schoolgirls to get to school and encourage them in their studies. The organisers hope the bicycles will ease the students’ long-standing travel difficulties and help raise their regular attendance at school.
At 12 noon the same day, eye treatment and cataract operations were held for a second day on the grounds of Aliarhat Rokeya-Chhattar High School in Shibganj. About 4,000 people have received treatment under the programme. On the first day, 2,000 people in Saidpur union of Mokamtala were given free eye treatment.
Speaking at the bicycle distribution, State Minister Mir Shahe Alam said he had marked Barrister Zaima Rahman’s birthday with humanitarian programmes even during what he called fascist Hasina’s rule. Prayer gatherings, food for orphans, medical care and eye camps were organised at that time, he said, and the effort has continued this year for the benefit of students. The overall advancement of girls’ education is the main aim of these programmes, he said.
Stressing a safe environment for students, the state minister said everyone in society must be alert to preventing child marriage and sexual harassment of girls. The matter was discussed in detail at the meeting and the necessary decisions were taken, he said. Everyone must work together so that girls can travel to school safely and continue their studies without disruption. The event’s worth lies in standing by students and moving girls’ education forward, he said.
Among others present were Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Ziaur Rahman, Shibganj police station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Md Shahinuzzaman Shahin, education patron Mir Laboni Akter, Rupshi BD Group Managing Director Mir Shakrul Alam Simanta, his wife Mir Faria Tabassum, and the state minister’s daughter Mir Samara Sunat.
বাংলায় মূল প্রতিবেদন পড়ুন · Read the original Bengali report