The government aims to raise Bangladesh’s literacy rate to between 86% and 90% by 2031, State Minister for Primary and Mass Education Bobby Hajjaj has said.
The literacy rate among people aged seven and above currently stands at 77.9%, according to the Economic Survey 2025, Bobby said at a press conference Monday ahead of International Literacy Day 2026.
International Literacy Day will be observed globally Tuesday, September 8, with this year’s theme, “Literacy for People, the Planet and Prosperity.”
Despite progress, Bobby acknowledged that a significant section of the population remains without access to basic education and essential skills.
According to the Health and Morbidity Status Survey 2025, 23.51% of the population has never attended school, while another 18.94% attended primary school but did not progress further.
Together, 42.45% have either never attended school or did not progress beyond primary education, highlighting the gap between the official literacy rate and broader educational attainment.
“Reaching a literacy rate of more than 77% is undoubtedly an encouraging achievement. However, a large section of the population still remains outside access to basic education rights and necessary skills,” Bobby said.
“Rapidly making out-of-school children, dropout adolescents, marginalized communities and disadvantaged adults literate and skilled is now one of the government’s priorities.”
The state minister said literacy can no longer remain limited to signing one’s name or recognizing the alphabet. The government is linking literacy with employment, life skills, digital capabilities and environmental awareness.
Prime Minister Tarique Rahman, in a message issued Monday, said literacy is no longer confined to basic reading, writing and numeracy skills, but also encompasses digital skills, information literacy, critical thinking, creativity, life skills and environmental awareness.
He said the government aims to transform education from certificate-based learning to skills-based, employment-oriented and ethical education.
The state minister said the “Effective Literacy and Practical Skills Training” programme is being conducted in the sadar upazilas of all 64 districts through the Bureau of Non-Formal Education.
In the first phase, 4,198 of the 4,312 registered dropout students have passed according to Bangladesh National Qualifications Framework standards. Of them, 3,882, or 92.47%, have secured opportunities for permanent employment, apprenticeships in decent work or becoming new entrepreneurs, he said.
Bobby also said the “Adult and Functional Literacy for Ability Enhancement Programme (ALFA)” has been adopted under the “Each One Teach One” model to make people deprived of institutional education self-reliant and make the country free from illiteracy.
Regarding teacher recruitment, Bobby said around 35,400 head teacher posts were vacant or involved in legal processes. Discussions have begun with the Public Service Commission to expedite recruitment and postings.
Secretary of the Ministry of Primary and Mass Education Jesmin Nahar and senior officials were present at the press conference.