Muktadesh Desk: BNP aims to build an ‘inclusive trillion-dollar economy’ by 2034, which will create millions of jobs, said the party’s acting chairman, Tarique Rahman.
He made this known in a post on his verified Facebook page on Thursday (October 30) morning.
In it, Tarique Rahman said, ‘BNP aims to build a modern and people-oriented Bangladesh, where every citizen, especially women, proudly contributes to the country’s growth and no woman has to choose between her family and her future.’
Cite the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS) 2024 Labor Force Survey, the BNP acting chairman wrote, ‘The labor market participation rate of women is significantly lower than that of men. Only 43 percent of women are employed as against 80 percent of men. This gap warns us that we are leaving behind the talent and skills of more than half of our nation. That is why the BNP is considering a nationwide initiative to make childcare part of Bangladesh’s economic growth strategy.
Expressing his plan, he wrote, “Establishing daycare centers in all our government universities, adopting a national plan to gradually establish daycare centers in government offices, making daycare mandatory in large private institutions and factories, providing tax benefits and CSR credits to employers who provide childcare, and providing training and certification to caregivers as per the standards of the Ministry of Women and Child Affairs.”
Tareq Rahman wrote, “This one reform can increase women’s employment, increase household income, provide financial stability to the growing middle class, and add up to 1 percent to our GDP.” Since almost two-thirds of the workers in the ready-made garment industry are women, the contribution of working mothers should not be underestimated.
Citeing research data from the International Finance Corporation (IFC) and the International Labor Organization (ILO), the BNP acting chairman wrote, “Factories that have childcare facilities have higher employee retention rates, lower absenteeism, and organizations can recover costs within a year.”
Childcare is not a luxury, he wrote, “It is an essential part of the socio-economic infrastructure. Just as roads connect markets, daycare centers connect women to success in their careers.”
Tareq Rahman said, “We reject any backward idea that limits women’s potential. Empowering women through childcare, equal pay, and workplace safety is not just fair; it is the intellectual economy.”
