Kokrajhar, Feb 27 (PTI) Empowering women is key to the overall development of society and the focus of any government should be to create entrepreneurs and not job seekers, Bangladeshi Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus said on Monday.

Addressing the inaugural session of the first Bodoland International Knowledge Festival here, Yunus said he could bring a change in Bangladesh by empowering women.

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"If 10 million women can be made entrepreneurs, then it can lead to the overall development of society," he said.

He asked Bodoland Territorial Region (BTR) chief Promod Boro to create an environment in the area where youths are encouraged to be entrepreneurs instead of job seekers.

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Yunus was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2006 for pioneering microcredit and microfinance.

Terming the knowledge festival historic, Boro said, "We hope that it will mark a new beginning in the region."

"We are extremely happy and glad to welcome some of the wonderful human beings whose contributions to creating change are immense. We hope this will mark a new beginning in the BTR," he said.

Boro said he was committed to changing the life of 3.5 million people in the region after four decades of violence.

The inaugural session was also attended by philanthropist and diamond exporter Savji Bhai Dholakia, SECMOL founder Sonam Wangchuk, Bollywood actor Vivek Oberoi, Assam assembly speaker Biswajit Daimary, state minister UG Brahma and Bhutan Consul General in Guwahati Jigme Thinlye Namgyl, among others.

The festival is focusing on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) 2030 in BTR, and the world at large.

Issues to be deliberated upon include science and technology, indigenous knowledge systems, women empowerment, child rights and protection, peacebuilding and good governance, and the role of BTR in the light of the Act East Policy.

The festival is organised by Bodoland University with the support of the BTR administration.

More than 300 delegates from across India, and 35 delegates from 14 countries are participating in the festival.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)