DHAKA: Bangladesh made a record by distributing more than 31 crores free textbooks among the students of primary and secondary schools, ebtedayee and dakhil madrasas and technical institutions for the new year on Thursday.

For the session 2014, some 31,27,25,526 free textbooks would be distributed among 4,33,53,201 students amid 18-party’s non-stop blockade.
 
Education Minister Nurul Islam Nahid inaugurated the textbook distribution ceremony by handing over textbooks to a Class-I student at city’s Govt. Laboratory School.

After inaugurating the programme, minister said, “Some of my friends called me ‘mad’ when I undertook the project of distributing free textbooks among the students of primary and secondary levels because not even the richer countries can afford to do that. But today I can say that I was right.”

“Today my joy knows no bound,” he added.

Mentioning the challenge of distributing books by the time amid the sabotage of anti-liberation forces Nahid also said: “With the help of guardians and teachers, we successfully completed taking class-final exams which were a challenge.”

With Professor Fahima Khatun in the chair, education affairs secretary Dr Kamal Abdul Naser Chowdhury, primary and mass education affairs secretary Kazi Akhter Hossain and NCTB chairman professor Shafiqur Rahman, among others, were present on the occasion.

On Wednesday, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina inaugurated the book festival, an occasion of free textbook distribution, at Ganobhaban, the official residence of the PM, by handing over textbooks among 23 students.

BDST: 1807 HRS, JAN 02, 2014
Edited by: Shamim Hossain / Shameem Reza, Newsroom Editors/ Robab Rosan, Current Affairs Editor