Children use Meena Day to advocate birth registrationSeptember 24, 2007, Dhaka:Children and adolescents assembled today at different parts of the city to celebrate Meena Day with renewed commitment of ensuring birth registration for all children. They expressed their collective commitment through recitation of poems, drama and different cultural events.
The central event took place at the LGED Conference room where around 400 children gather together to celebrate the day.
“Meena is a symbol of a girl child, who sensitizes people about child rights. This year Meena called for ensuring birth registration for all children to help ensure their health, security and equality,” said Mr. M. Musharraf Hossain Bhuiyan, Secretary, Ministry of Primary and Mass Education (MOPME) and the chief guest at the Meena Day central event.
“The efforts of Meena will be successful when every child will enjoy their basic rights; nutrition, health, education and shelter,” said Mr. Bhuiyan. The theme of the day was ‘Birth Registration for All Children.
“Meena is an icon of South Asian children and an enduring symbol of communication. It is being replicated in many countries including Cambodia, Laos and is currently being screened in Afghanistan,” Nabendra Dahal, head of Education Section in UNICEF said.
Young learners of the working children’s project assembled at the Public Library to celebrate the day amid festivity and fun.
The goodwill ambassadors disguised as Meena, Raju and Mithu accompanied by a group of child performers met children on the streets of Dhaka to motivate them about birth registration.
Bangladesh Shishu Academy also organized different programmes to observe the day that included distribution of prizes and cultural events.
For more information, please contact:
Arifa S. Sharmin Communication Officer, UNICEF, Dhaka
+8802 9336701-10/Ext. 442