DHAKA: The participation of Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at the first-ever World Girl Summit in London was a success, says UK Labour Party member of parliament, also Chair of the Home Affairs Committee at the British House of Commons, Keith Vaz.
Thus, the success of this international event has been measured through the wholehearted participation of Hasina.
On July 22, her contribution was frequently highlighted by the world leaders at the Summit. She was introduced as a forefront leader of the world on the issues of woman empowerment, human rights and peace.
British premier David Cameron came first, among the other world leaders, to show this honor to his Bangladesh counterpart; and it was in his special invitation letter to Hasina.
British premier and United Nations Children's Fund (Unicef) executive director Anthony Lake widely praised the initiatives to face the child marriage in their invitation letter to Hasina.
In these letters, they hoped that the Amendment of the Bangladesh Child Marriage Restraint Act 1929 would help other countries inspire to take such kind of initiatives. For this reasons, they asked Hasina to be the guest of the World Summit.
Later, Hasina held a bilateral meeting with Cameron after arriving in London where the British premier agreed to work together on the post 2015 development goals with Hasina’s government. The Bangladesh premier also responded well to Cameron’s effort.
Mentioning the capability of Hasina’s government to uphold the country’s gross domestic product over six percent and its human rights, increase the living standard index and face fundamentalism and militancy, Cameron expressed his interests to visit Bangladesh, if possible, to see in his own eyes that how these developments have made possible.
On the sideline of the Girl Summit, Hasina held a meeting with UNICEF chief Anthony Lake where he called her as the symbol of progressive liberal world leaders. The head of the international organization gave Hasina this appellation for protecting the rights of children, especially female children.
British UK Labour Party member of parliament Nigel Keith Anthony Standish Vaz, known as Keith Vaz who works on issues of immigration, police, combating terrorism, judicial system and immigration policy of European Union as the chair the Home Affairs Committee at the British House of Commons.
Keith met the prime minister at her hotel suit after the summit and thanked her for participating in the summit. Keith said the British government is grateful to the Bangladesh prime minister. Because, she is not only a female premier but also a world leader who has life long been working for the development of woman and child and attained successes.
The British MP told Hasina, he himself would write a letter to Cameron highlighting her that the success of girl summit was because of Hasina.
At the Summit, Hasina assured world-famous Pakistani education activist Malala Yousafzai of supporting in her all activities.
Hasina expressed her all-out commitment to keep fighting in favor of woman empowerment and world peace, and against the poverty and violence against woman.
During the high level session at the Summit, when BBC broadcaster Zeinab Badawi was introducing the participants, she mentioned the Bangladesh premier as a leader of woman empowerment and democratic advancement and a forefront international leader of human rights.
Badawi opined that her (Hasina’s) advancement is regarded worldwide as the daughter of the architect of Bangladesh and hoped that Hasina’s speeches would be accepted as instructions in different countries of the world.
Therefore, Bangladesh Prime Minster Sheikh Hasina has become the top level leader of the world in the international arena and the spotlight in the international events. All these are the reasons of pride for Bangladesh.
BDST: 1107 HRS, JUL 26, 2614
