The summit will be held in London on July 22
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has been invited by her British counterpart David Cameron to attend the Girls Summit in London this month.
“The British prime minister invited our prime minister to attend the Girls Summit to be held in London on July 22,” a foreign ministry official said.
Although it had not been decided whether the prime minister would be attending the summit, the ministry was preparing for the possibility of the prime minister traveling to Britain, he said.
The invitation is considered significant because the United Kingdom and other Western countries criticized the government for its uncontested election on January 5.
Hasina has already made visits to Japan and China and attended the BIMSTEC summit meeting in Myanmar. She has been invited by the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to visit New Delhi.
The UK will host the first Girl Summit in July, aimed at mobilising domestic and international effort to end female genital mutilation (FGM) and child, early and forced marriage (CEFM) within a generation. UNICEF will co-host the event.
Girls and women have the right to live free from violence and discrimination and to live fulfilling lives, but millions are prevented from doing so by harmful practices such as FGM and CEFM, which are illegal in the UK.
In the heart of communities and families in the UK and across Africa, South Asia, the Middle East and Europe, more and more people are saying no to these practices.
Source: Dhaka Tribune
