2024-04-22 12:37:00
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said that apart from education in school, participation in sports is very important in the physical and mental development of children. The new generation growing up with a combination of healthy body and healthy mind will devote themselves fully to the building of the country and nation by being strong in the great ideals of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and Bangama Begum Fazilatunnessa. The future generation of 2041 will become tech savvy, modern and smart citizens.
He said these things in a speech given on Friday (April 19) on the occasion of ‘Bangabandhu Gold Cup Primary School Football Tournament 2023’ and ‘Bangamata Sheikh Fazilatunnessa Mujib Gold Cup Primary School Football Tournament 2023’. The Prime Minister extended his best wishes and congratulations to all the players participating in the two tournaments.
The Prime Minister said that Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the greatest Bengali father of all time, loved playing football more. He was the captain of the Gopalganj Mission School football team during his student life. He used to play regularly for Dhaka Wanderers Club. After independence, the father of the nation took various steps to develop and modernize the sports field of the country.
He said, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman made primary education universal, free and compulsory. He nationalized 36 thousand 165 primary schools and 1 lakh 57 thousand 724 primary teachers. He took all necessary steps to ensure modern education system in independent Bangladesh. He took the initiative to provide free educational materials, food items and clothing to primary students.
Sheikh Hasina said, ‘The Awami League government is developing the education system of the country by giving utmost importance to education. In 2013, we nationalized 26 thousand 193 private primary schools and 1 lakh 5 thousand 616 teachers. The post of Head Teacher has been promoted to Class II and the pay scale of Assistant Teacher has been promoted. We are disbursing stipend money directly to the mobile banking accounts of about 1 crore 40 lakh primary school students. Apart from this, we are implementing many other developmental programs besides school feeding, formation of Prime Minister’s Education Support Trust Fund, training of teachers at home and abroad, development of physical infrastructure of educational institutions, establishment of multimedia classrooms.
He said, as a result of the steps taken by our government, almost 100% enrollment rate of children has been achieved and the standard of primary education has been improved. We are constructing mini stadiums in every upazila to attract children to sports. Along with this, we are organizing sports competitions from inter-school to national level.
The Prime Minister said, we have been able to highlight the sports arena of Bangladesh at the international level beyond the borders of the country. Along with men, our women have also achieved remarkable success in the field of sports. In this continuation, Bangladesh has achieved the unique honor of becoming the champion in the ‘SAF Women’s Championship 2022’. I am very happy to know that five players from that football team have come through the Bangmata Sheikh Fazilatunnesa Mujib Gold Cup Primary School Tournament.
The Prime Minister wished the all-round success of the ‘Bangabandhu Gold Cup Primary School Football Tournament 2023’ and the ‘Bangamata Sheikh Fazilatunnecha Mujib Gold Cup Primary School Football Tournament 2023’.