World Population Day today: President, PM issue messages

The World Population Day-2024 will be observed across the country as elsewhere in the world today with the aim of working together for building a gender equality-based society.

Different programmes have been taken to observe the day in a befitting manner.
 
The theme of the day this year is ‘Embracing the power of inclusive data towards a resilient and equitable future for all’.
 
President Mohammed Shahabuddin and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina issued separate massages on the occasion, wishing overall success of the World Population Day.
 
In his message, the President said population is one of the key elements of a state.
  
A planned and efficient population has immense importance for sustainable development, he said, adding that the overall development of the country should be accelerated by ensuring environment-friendly and optimal use of the existing resources keeping the population at the desired level.
 
He said a happy-prosperous future requires maximum use of available data and increased-use of modern technologies in data collection and analysis.
 
The President said effective steps must be taken to deliver health care, family planning services, maternal-child health and adolescent health services and reproductive health, adolescent health and nutrition services according to the needs of all, using inclusive data.
 
Besides, proper use of inclusive data should also be ensured on digital platforms like family planning material supply chain management portal, e-toolkit, happy family call center and Education Management Information System (EMIS), he added.
 
In her message, Minister Sheikh Hasina called upon the government and non-governmental organizations, media, individuals and institutions to come forward to build a healthy nation.
 
“Let's all build a non-communal, hunger-poverty-free and advanced-prosperous ‘Sonar Bangladesh’ as well as knowledge-based ‘Smart Bangladesh’ as dreamt by the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman,” she said.
 
She said half of the country's population is woman, so country's development is not possible without them. Inspired by the ideals of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the government has been implementing various programmes for ensuring the rights and development of women and girls, she added.
 
"We have set up 18,500 community clinics and union healthcare centers to bring healthcare-service to the doorsteps of the people. Apart from working at the community clinics and satellite clinics, field workers of the family planning department are visiting house to house to give healthcare to mothers and children," the Premier said, adding that as a result, child and maternal mortality rates have come down significantly.
 
“Child marriage is a big challenge for us. Our government is determined to prevent child marriage by collecting proper data on child marriage,” she said.
 
She said family planning is universally recognized as a fundamental part of life.
 
Family planning has been playing an important role in ensuring sustainable development and progress, she said.
 
Sheikh Hasina also mentioned that the government has undertaken various activities to ensure the rights and development of women and girls.