Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has distributed the prestigious Unesco International Literacy Prizes among the recipients for this year.
In 2014, Unesco awarded seven (7) persons and institutions worldwide for contribution to literacy and education.
They were nominated earlier by Unesco Jury Board as per submission of nominations for 2014.
The prize recipients are President of Association for the Promotion of Non-Formal Education of Burkina Faso Anatole T Niameogo, Education minister of Ecuador Augusto Espinosa, President of Algerian Association of Alphabetization (IQRRA) Aicha Barki, Director of the Permanent Education Center Poligono Sur Seville, Spain, Ana Garcia Reina, Deputy Director of the Permanent Education Center Poligono Sur Seville, Spain, Isabel Dealbert, Chief Executive Officer of Molteno Institute for Language and Literacy and International Literacy Institute, South Africa, Masennya Dikotla, and Director of Molteno Institute for Language and Literacy and International Literacy Institute Dan A Wagner.
This is the first time Bangladesh hosted the prestigious programme. Usually, the award-giving ceremony takes place in Paris every year.
The Ministry of Primary and Mass Education, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ministry of Education jointly organized the event on behalf of the Government of Bangladesh at Bangabandhu International Conference Center (BICC) in the capital.
Every year, Unesco observes the International Literacy Day on September 8 and presents the Literacy Awards in Paris.
However, as a Champion Country for UN Secretary General’s Global Education First Initiative (GEFI), Bangladesh proposed to host the one-day International Conference in Bangladesh this year on the occasion of ILD 2014.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Education in cooperation with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (Unesco) hosted an international conference on Girls Literacy and Education marking the International Literacy Day.
Around 60 delegates including international NGOs from 27 countries participated in the one-day conference.