& çâÌæÚUæð´ ·¤è ¥ôÚU Îð¹Ùæ ÁæÚUè ÚU¹ð´ ¥ÍæüÌ ¥ÂÙð ÜÿØ ÂÚU ŠØæÙ ÚU¹ð´Ð ãæÚU Ù ×æÙð´, €UØô´ç·¤ ·¤æ× ·¤ÚUÙð âð ¥æÂ·¤ô ©gðàØ ·¤è Âýæç# ãôÌè ãñ ¥õÚU ÁèßÙ ·¤æ ¹æÜèÂÙ ÎêÚU ãôÌæ ãñÐ ÖÜð ãè ÁèßÙ ×ð´ ç·¤ÌÙè Öè ·¤çÆÙæ§ü €UØô´ Ù ¥æ°, çÁ™ææâæ ¥õÚU ©ˆâæã ÕÙæ° ÚU¹ð´Ð ŠØæÙ ÚU¹ð´, ÜÿØ ã×ðàææ ¥æÂ·Ô¤ Âæâ ãôÌð ãñ´ çÁ‹ãð´ ÂæÙð ·Ô¤ çÜ° ÂýØæâ ¥æÂ ·¤Öè Öè àæéM¤ ·¤ÚU â·¤Ìð ãñ´Ð

Natural calamities big threat to development

Prime minister tells UN representative; at another event she pledges to raise number of women in political leadership by 2021; joins Obama's reception

UNB, New York
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said Bangladesh as a disaster-prone country considers natural calamities as a severe threat to its sustainable development.
The prime minister made the remark when UN Special Representative of the Secretary General for Disaster Risk Reduction Margareta Wahlstrom met her at her hotel suite in New York on Monday.
PM's Press Secretary Abul Kalam Azad briefed reporters about the outcome of the meeting.
He said the prime minister told Margareta that her government attaches top priority to capacity building for disaster risk reduction and resilience.
Highlighting the adverse impacts of climate change on public life and property, Hasina said the people of the country have been fighting against natural disasters, including floods and cyclones for ages.
The present government is undertaking several adaptive measures for disaster-risk reduction and sought international cooperation in the initiatives of construction of flood and cyclone shelters, flood resistant houses and coastal embankment, she added.
Margareta invited Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to attend a conference on disaster management to be held in Geneva in May next year. The prime
minister accepted the invitation.
Eminent IT specialist and Awami League president's IT adviser Sajib Wazed Joy and Foreign Minister Dipu Moni were also present.
Later, the prime minister met Amir of Qatar Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani at Qatari mission, UN Plaza.
During the meeting, they discussed issues relating to bilateral interests, including river dredging in Bangladesh and recruitment of Bangladeshi workers.
PM PLEDGES TO RAISE NUMBER OF WOMENIN POLITICALLEADERSHIP
Women will account for 30 per cent of parliamentary seats and half the country’s workforce by 2021, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina told an international audience on Monday, said another report of UNB from New York.
She pledged to raise women's participation in parliament and all tiers of political leadership positions from 20 per cent to 30 per cent by 2021.
She said by that time women will comprise half the country's workforce.
Globally, women are also making progress, but it's still not enough, she said at the programme organised by US Secretary of State Hilary Clinton to discuss women's equal partnership with men and their empowerment.
"In recent times, there has been progress, but not enough. Women's participation in all spheres of society is
small,’’ she told the ’’Equal Futures Partnership” event at Astor Room of the Inter Continental Barclay Hotel.
Sheikh Hasina seized the opportunity of telling the international audience about a series of measures her government has taken for the welfare and empowerment of women in Bangladesh.
“Our government emphasises political and economic empowerment of women,” she told the assembly of foreign dignitaries and women rights activists.
She said 12,838 women have elected to the lowest tiers of the government and 69 as lawmakers during her admin-istration'scurrent tenure.
She said 30 per cent of all government jobs in Bangladesh are reserved for women.
Women now hold high positions in the judiciary, administrative, diplomatic and armed and law enforcement services. Besides, there are five women cabinet members, one deputy leader of the House, one whip, and one mayor, she added.
PM JOINS OBAMA'S RECEPTION
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Monday joined a reception hosted by US President Barack Obama and US First Lady Michelle Obama.
The US president hosted the reception at Hotel Waldrof Astoria in honour of heads of state and government of different countries who came here to join the UN General Assembly.