Bangladeshi student leader Umama Fatema rejects U.S. award over Palestine stance
Dhaka: Umama Fatema, a key student leader in the movement that led to the removal of former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, has declined the prestigious U.S. International Women of Courage (IWOC) Award in protest against Washington’s support for Israel’s actions in Gaza.
The award ceremony, scheduled for April 1, 2025, will be hosted by U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and First Lady Melania Trump. Fatema, along with fellow activists, had been selected for the "Madeleine Albright Honorary Group Award" for their role in Bangladesh’s July 2024 uprising.
However, Fatema criticised the award’s past endorsement of Israeli actions, stating that accepting it would contradict the Palestinian struggle for justice. In a statement on social media, she wrote:
"This collective recognition of women activists is an immense honor for us. However, in October 2023, this same award was used to directly endorse Israel’s brutal attacks on Palestine. By denying the Palestinian liberation struggle, the award has justified Israel’s aggression in a manner that calls its impartiality into question. The Palestinian people have long been deprived of their fundamental human rights, including their right to land. Therefore, out of respect for the Palestinian freedom struggle, I personally reject this award."
She concluded her statement with the slogan: "From the River to the Sea, Palestine will be Free."
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Maharashtra sets up state vaccination task force to strengthen immunisation programme
Mumbai (PTI): The Maharashtra government has set up a State Vaccination Task Force to strengthen the regular immunisation programme and review the progress of related campaigns, a health department official said on Monday.
The State Vaccination Task Force will comprise at least 29 members and will be headed by the administrative head of the health department, he informed.
The government has also constituted separate district-level and municipal vaccination task forces to improve implementation and address challenges at the grassroots level, he said.
Municipal task forces, chaired by respective civic commissioners, have been constituted in view of the vast urban population in Maharashtra and the role of civic bodies in implementing different health programmes.
The district-level task forces will function under the chairmanship of collectors.
"Complete immunisation of children at the appropriate age is an extremely simple, cost-effective and highly effective measure to reduce child mortality and the prevalence of diseases among kids. Immunisation is a powerful tool for reducing illness in children," maintained the official.
To ensure full vaccination of all children, the state government implements various campaigns from time to time as per the central government guidelines, he pointed out.
"Active participation and cooperation of other relevant government departments are essential (in making these campaigns successful)," according to the official.
The state-level body will review the regular immunisation programme, associated campaigns and vaccine-preventable diseases in detail. It will also conduct focused assessments of high-risk districts and municipal corporations, including vacancies at district, municipal and sub-district levels, availability of cold chain equipment, resource gaps and training requirements, he noted.
The state task force will review allocation and utilisation of funds for immunisation and ensure timely action by officers concerned based on reports from district and municipal task forces and state-level monitoring mechanisms, the official said.
It will also ensure active coordination and participation of other government departments in immunisation drives, while district and municipal task forces will carry out similar functions at their respective levels, the official added.
