Prime Minister Tarique Rahman has said the government will provide free shoes to students of government primary schools.
He made the announcement on Wednesday while responding to a supplementary question from MP Md Abul Kalam during the question-and-answer session in parliament. The session was presided over by Speaker Hafiz Uddin Ahmed Bir Bikram.
In response to a written question, the prime minister said the BNP’s election manifesto outlines a vision of building a developed, prosperous and dignified Bangladesh through the integrated implementation of democracy, good governance, economic development and human values.
He said the manifesto emphasises free and fair elections, administrative transparency and accountability, and the establishment of the rule of law, human rights and freedom of expression.
The prime minister added that the government aims to achieve economic prosperity by tackling corruption, boosting investment and industrialisation, creating employment and developing human resources.
He said priority is also being given to building an inclusive and non-discriminatory society by strengthening sectors such as education, health, agriculture and social safety nets.
Referring to the “Bangladesh First” foreign policy, he said the government is placing the highest importance on national sovereignty, security and public welfare in all areas, and is working to position Bangladesh as a self-respecting state based on equality and mutual respect.
To implement the election manifesto, ministries and departments have prepared action plans for the next 180 days, the 2026–27 fiscal year and the next five years, he added.
The prime minister said the government has already taken several initiatives toward these goals, including plans to excavate and re-excavate 20,000 kilometres of canals and rivers over five years, introduce “family cards” for low-income households, provide “farmer cards” to support agriculture, and offer allowances for religious institutions and athletes.
He also mentioned a five-year plan to plant 250 million trees, waive agricultural loans of up to Tk10,000 with interest, expand playground and infrastructure facilities nationwide, introduce “e-health cards” for medical services, recruit 500,000 government employees, and distribute free school uniforms to 200,000 primary school students within the current fiscal year.
