Women empowerment, poverty cut help check extremism in Bangladesh
Dipu Moni tells US journalists
Foreign Minister Dipu Moni has said achievements made by Bangladesh in social sector particularly in women empowerment and poverty alleviation, which she claimed greatly contributed to halting extremist trends in society.
“This also helped the country become a role model in the Muslim world for its democratic credentials and moderation,” she remarked while interacting with five senior US journalists at the foreign ministry yesterday.
The senior US journalists are currently visiting Bangladesh to attend the 2011 Senior Journalists Seminar titled “Bridging Gaps between the United States and the Asia Muslim World”.
The programme was sponsored by the East-West Centre, USA and organised by the BCDJC, Dhaka. The journalists represent CNN, Los Angeles Times, The Christian Science Monitor, Fox News Channel, The Gazette and the East West Centre.
Dipu Moni touched on a range of issues including Bangladesh's relations with the outside world, South Asia, challenges of climate change, Bangladesh's role in the international arena, strengthening of the democratic institutions, women empowerment and their historical role in the society and impressive progress in the social sector including wide social safety nets.
Narrating historical sequence of events leading to the birth of Bangladesh, she touched on how Bangladesh retains its secular and inclusive character, driven by the urge of its people for reassertion of their distinct cultural identity.
She also noted that the trend was vividly manifested in general elections in Bangladesh held in December, 2008.
While underlining the government's foreign policy priorities for closer bonds with the immediate neighbours, she stressed that they “not only have common past but also have common destiny which bind them together”.
During the hour-long meeting, Dipu Moni also spoke on press freedom in Bangladesh, saying the country is a shining example of free media and free press, which has been playing a key role in shaping its politics.
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