State Minister for Primary and Mass Education Bobby Hajjaj has said that the government has taken an initiative to provide free school uniforms, bags, shoes and socks to students of government primary schools across the country in line with the election manifesto and the directives of Prime Minister Tarique Rahman.
He made the remarks on Monday while speaking at a preparatory inter-ministerial meeting on the distribution of eco-friendly jute school bags for primary students held at the Ministry of Textiles and Jute.
The minister said the government has adopted a large-scale plan to supply uniforms, school bags, shoes and socks to primary school students. As part of the first phase, a pilot programme will be implemented, covering several hundred thousand students.
He informed that the Ministry of Textiles and Jute will support the initiative by supplying 5 lakh jute school bags. The Ministry of Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives will assist in implementation at the upazila and local levels to ensure swift distribution of materials to students.
He further said the government is hopeful that the pilot programme will be launched nationwide within the first 180 days of its tenure. Prime Minister Tarique Rahman is expected to formally inaugurate the initiative. In the initial phase, the programme will cover hundreds of thousands of students and will be gradually expanded between July and October to reach around four lakh students with uniforms, school bags, shoes and socks.
Bobi Hajjaj said, following the successful implementation of the pilot programme, the initiative will be expanded on a larger scale next year.
He said that under the Primary Education Development Programme–5 (PEDP-5), the government aims to bring about a transformative change in Bangladesh’s primary education system. He also reiterated the government’s firm commitment to improving the overall quality of primary education under the leadership of Prime Minister Tarique Rahman.
Bobi Hajjaj thanked the Ministry of Textiles and Jute and the Ministry of Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives (LGRD), noting that multiple ministries are working in coordination to prioritise education as a national agenda. He stressed that ensuring a better, education-friendly environment for students is essential to building a prosperous Bangladesh in the future.
State Minister for LGRD Mir Shah-e-Alam, State Minister for Textiles and Jute Md Shariful Alam, the secretary of the Ministry of Primary and Mass Education, the secretary of the Ministry of Textiles and Jute, and senior officials concerned were present at the event.