UNB:

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Tuesday said her government has created opportunities for the country’s children to pursue their education and flourish their talents.

“We’ve created scopes for our children so that they can pursue education in various ways and flourish their latent talents,” she said.

The PM was speaking at the prize giving ceremony of Essay and Art Competitions, held on the occasion of the birth anniversary of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, in her official residence Ganabhaban here.

She handed over the prizes to the best performers among the 304 winners of the competitions held on the occasion of 99th, 100th, 101st, 102nd, 103rd and 104th birth anniversaries of Bangabandhu.

Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Memorial Trust arranged the competitions.

Noting that the Awami League government has set up various types of specialised universities in the country, Hasina said the government is setting up universities at the district level.

She said multi-dimensional universities including medical, agricultural, design and fashion, aerospace and aviation, and science and technology have been established.

The premier said her government formulated many laws and policies for the protection of the children and opened windows for education.

She said the government provides the students from pre-primary to secondary level with free textbooks, stipends and scholarship as well as scholarships even for higher education.

“Thanks to our steps, the literacy rate has gone up to 76.8 percent now, which was only 45 percent in 2006,” she added.

The PM said her government set up computer labs in schools and computer training and incubation centres in the country. “We’re expanding IT education, digital systems and computer training,” she said.

She said the world is marching forward in the age of technology. “Our children will not lag behind. We’ll build them as a modern nation by equipping them with the latest technological knowledge,” she continued.

The prime minister said her government’s vision now is that Bangladesh will be a smart Bangladesh by 2041.

“Today’s children and youth will be the future guides of 2041 Bangladesh. We want to develop them properly so that they can take Bangladesh forward,” she said.

Speaker Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury was present in the function presided over by President of the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Memorial Museum and noted painter Hashem Khan.

Curator of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Memorial Museum, Md Nazrul Islam Khan, also spoke on the occasion.