Unicef praises Hasina

Unicef Executive Director Anthony Lake has praised Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina for Bangladesh’s initiatives to protect rights of the girl children.

Lake hailed the prime minister during a meeting with her on the sideline of the Girl Summit at London on Tuesday.

Unicef (The United Nations Children's Fund) is the co-organiser of the summit, which aims to tackle female genital mutilation and child marriage.

Hasina attended the summit at the invitation of British Prime Minister David Cameron, who is the main initiator of the summit.

Prime minister’s Press Secretary AKM Shamim Chowdhury told journalists that Lake called Hasina ‘the symbol of liberal and progressive world leaders’ at the meeting.

He said: “The Unicef executive director praised the prime minister for giving various financial supports including free education up to secondary level and stipends for protection of rights of the children, specially the girl children.”

Chowdhury said the Unicef official also hailed development of Bangladesh in different fields and its progress towards attainment of the Millennium Development Goals (MDG).

He quoted Lake as telling the prime minister: “When I look at the MDG chart, I see Bangladesh green in all aspects.”

The press secretary said Lake expressed his organisation’s willingness to work with Bangladesh to help the country attain its commitment to stop child marriage by 2041.

Hasina had a bilateral meeting with Cameron at his office. UK Minister of State for International Development Desmond Swayne also met her.

Hasina requested the junior minister to introduce ‘low-cost energy solution’ and set up an international standard testing laboratory in Bangladesh.