BNP acting secretary general Ruhul Kabir Rizvi said on Saturday that the government’s Family Card initiative to support distressed, helpless and poor families would play a landmark role in empowering women.

He made the remarks before a rally organised by the Jatiyatabadi Mohila Dal to mark its 48th founding anniversary in the capital’s Nayapaltan.

Rizvi stressed the importance of education and financial self-reliance in empowering women. He said women must become educated and financially self-reliant, adding that the government has taken various initiatives to help them achieve financial independence.

Referring to government initiatives in education, he said former prime minister Khaleda Zia had introduced free education for girls up to the intermediate level, while PM Tarique Rahman had proposed making education free for girls up to the degree and honours levels.

“This is public welfare and women’s empowerment,” Rizvi said, urging Mohila Dal leaders and activists to inform people about the government’s programmes to educate women and make them financially self-reliant.

He also said the Jatiyatabadi Mohila Dal would work to eliminate rape, violence against women and children, and all forms of wrongdoing from society.

Rizvi urged Mohila Dal leaders and activists to play a responsible role in informing people about government programmes aimed at ensuring women’s civic and legal rights and making them educated and financially self-reliant.

He said not every party leader and activist would become a minister or lawmaker, but representatives of the party had become lawmakers and ministers. “Therefore, their success is also the success of every leader and activist of the party,” he said.

Rizvi said the leaders of the Jatiyatabadi Mohila Dal at district, metropolitan and central levels were highly competent and equally capable of running the state or institutions.

He said BNP leaders and activists were now part of the government as the party was in power. “It is not necessary to hold a post or position to be part of the government,” he said, adding that people could now speak and move freely, while women could also move around safely.