Dhaka: Women and Children Affairs Minister Prof Dr AZM Zahid Hossain announced today that the government is considering the gradual expansion of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) laboratory services to divisional levels. This initiative aims to enhance transparency in the judicial process and reinforce the legal protection of women and children across the nation.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, the announcement came during a meeting between Minister Zahid and UNFPA Country Representative Catherine Breen Kamkong at the Secretariat office. Women and Children Affairs Secretary Dr. Rowsan Ara Begum was also present at the meeting. The discussions covered a wide range of topics, including the Family Card programme, women's education, achieving gender equality, and preventing violence and harassment against women and children.
Minister Zahid expressed his gratitude for UNFPA's ongoing support and development assistance to Bangladesh since its independence. He expressed hope that this technical cooperation would continue, particularly in aiding the successful implementation of the DNA laboratory programme. The UNFPA representative offered a positive outlook, indicating the organization's readiness to provide technical and knowledge-based support for the initiative.
The minister also highlighted the establishment of adolescent clubs in every union to raise awareness at the grassroots level about social issues such as child marriage. Kamkong praised the government's efforts to combat child marriage and protect women's rights, emphasizing the need for greater involvement of local religious leaders and community members in these efforts.
Furthermore, Minister Zahid called for support from development partners to offer modern marketing training for women entrepreneurs. The goal is to create opportunities for exporting traditional and handicraft products crafted by women at the grassroots level to international markets.