Mirpur: Director General of the Directorate of Primary Education (DPE) Abu Noor Md. Shamsuzzaman has announced that approximately 31 lakh children in 165 upazilas will begin receiving nutritious food under the national school feeding programme starting in November.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, in an exclusive interview at the DPE office in Mirpur, Shamsuzzaman stated, “Under the programme, eggs, milk, bananas, bread, biscuits, and local fruits will be provided to children five days a week. We hope to launch the programme on November 17.” He expressed optimism that providing nutritious food, along with enhanced facilities, would increase students’ attentiveness, improve nutrition, and reduce dropout rates, thereby strengthening the foundation of primary education in Bangladesh.
The initiative, based on poverty data from the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics, includes one upazila in each district, with all schools in Bandarban and Cox’s Bazar participating in the programme. The 15 upazilas in these two districts are financed by the World Bank, while the government funds the remaining 150 upazilas.
The DG revealed that the second phase would encompass the remaining 349 upazilas in the next fiscal year, extending the school feeding programme to around one crore students nationwide. Shamsuzzaman also mentioned that 13,500 assistant teacher positions are vacant, with recruitment rules being finalized for a notification in November. Additionally, the 10th grade for head teachers is set for implementation soon, and the proposal for the 11th grade for assistant teachers has been submitted to the Finance Ministry.
He addressed a pending case delaying the promotion of 32,000 acting head teachers, noting that once resolved, these positions will be open for new recruitment. Shamsuzzaman highlighted initiatives to empower and train teachers, including plans to increase head teachers’ repair expenditure authority from Tk 1.5 lakh to Tk 3 lakh, with payments requiring joint certification.
The DG outlined several infrastructure projects, such as school repairs, model schools, boundary walls, and PTI-URC development, with the aim of eliminating dilapidated schools within three to five years. This will coincide with the launch of PDP-5 in July 2026. The DPE is also distributing 3,000 interactive flat panels, aiming to cover over half of schools within five years, while overcoming challenges related to cost, electricity, and security.
Regarding school management, the DG stated that ad hoc committees led by education officers will be reformed to include educated and locally committed presidents.