The government has announced plans to gradually introduce the mid-day meal program in all primary schools across the country within the next five years, aiming to increase student attendance and reduce dropout rates.
According to the Ministry of Primary and Mass Education sources, in the first phase of the rollout, schools across 150 upazilas will be the first to benefit from this program, marking a significant step towards its nationwide implementation.
The government's move is expected to improve nutrition among students, which in turn will encourage regular attendance and support academic performance.
Educational experts have expressed optimism about the program's potential to foster a healthier, more engaged student population.
By addressing hunger, one of the major barriers to learning, the program could contribute to better academic performance and greater retention rates.
However, officials from the Ministry of Primary and Mass Education have confirmed that the project was initially scheduled to start in August this year under the School Feeding Program.
They noted that similar to other projects, the launch was delayed due to student-led uprisings.
According to the development project proposal from the ministry, the program will initially be implemented in 19,000 government primary schools in poverty-stricken areas, benefiting around 3.7 million students over a three-year period. The estimated cost of the project is approximately Tk4,700 crore.
Of the total budget, Tk4,181 crore will be allocated for food procurement, while the remaining funds will be used for contractors, transportation, service charges, and food distribution and packaging. If successful, the program will be expanded to all schools across the country, according to the project profile.
Under the program, the food will be provided to the students during school hours, five days a week.
According to sources, the World Food Program ran a school feeding project from 2001 to 2009 in Bangladesh. The most recent government-run school feeding program began in 2010, providing fortified biscuits and hot meals to around 30 million children in 15,300 primary schools in 104 poverty-stricken upazilas. The program ended in June 2022.
Before the program's closure, in August 2020, the ministry had prepared a proposal to provide meals to all students in 65,566 government primary schools for a five-year period, with a budget of Tk17,290 crore.
However, the proposal faced criticism, particularly over officials travelling abroad to learn how to prepare khichuri (a type of rice and lentil dish).
This led to controversy, and in June 2021, the proposal was rejected by the National Economic Council (NEC).
Concerns were raised by the then ousted prime minister about potential disruptions to educational activities if khichuri was cooked in schools, as it would require additional manpower and kitchen space.
Despite these past setbacks, on Sunday, the current primary and mass education ministry's Adviser Dr Bidhan Ranjan Ray Poddar confirmed that the mid-day meal program will be rolled out over the next five years.
A proposal will be submitted at the upcoming NEC meeting for finalizations, he added.
In the first phase, schools in 150 upazilas will receive meals, with a variety of items, including fortified biscuits, seasonal fruits, bananas, eggs, and roti, on the menu.
The government is hopeful that the program will make a significant impact on student nutrition and attendance rates.
