The New Nation - Internet Edition

BSS, Dhaka

The Meena Day 2007 was celebrated on Sunday across Bangladesh with a call to help boost the rights of the children for achieving a sustainable development and economic emancipation.

Speakers at the day celebration said that every year, the Meena Day is commemorated with the aim of highlighting issues that are important to children while also recognizing the importance of children.

Meena, they said, is the famous cartoon character who was born in 1991 here in Bangladesh. She is now recognized throughout South Asia and she is a communication tool that advocates for child rights, particularly girls' rights to an education, protection, access to services, they added.

The Meena Day, officially declared in 1998, was celebrated here in the capital city of Dhaka and all six divisional cities with this year's focus being Birth Registration for all children.

The speakers described birth registration as an important issue as it gives children access to education, health care and other important services.

Several programmes and events were organised marking the Meena Day. The Directorate of Primary Education organized a programme at LGED auditorium with the participation of around 400 children and government officials in the morning.

The programme included a children's performance and screening of Meena television episodes.

The Bureau of Non-formal Education (BNFE), under the Ministry of Primary and Mass Education, also hosted a programme at the Public Library auditorium. Young learners of the working children's project participated in the programme.

A cultural programme for children was arranged by the Shishu Academy to celebrate the day. The Shishu Academy also organised a drawing competition and theatre activities in all 64 districts.

Meena drama shows were staged in different points of the capital city by theatre groups and a truck carrying life-sized puppets of Meena, Raju and Mithu accompanied by a group of child performers.

UNICEF developed the Meena Communication Initiative (MCI). The Initiative is aimed at changing perceptions and behaviour that are detrimental to the survival, development and protection of girls in South Asia.