Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today formally inaugurated free textbook distribution programme for the academic year 2018 today as the “National Textbook Festival” is set to be celebrated across the country on January 1, reports BSS.
Sheikh Hasina formally opened the free textbook distribution programme by handing over books of primary and secondary levels to students at a function at her official Ganabhaban residence here this morning.
Education Minister Nurul Islam Nahid and Primary and Mass Education Minister Advocate Mustafizur Rahman spoke, while Education Secretary Sohrab Hossain moderated the function.
Earlier, Education Minister Nurul Islam Nahid handed over a set of textbooks of secondary level, while Primary and Mass Education Minister Advocate Mustafizur Rahman handed over a set of textbooks of primary level to the prime minister.
Commerce Minister Tofail Ahmed, Chairman of the Parliamentary Standing Committee Motahar Hossain, PM's Principal Secretary Dr Kamal Abdul Naser Chowdhury and Press Secretary Ihsanul Karim were present on the occasion, among others.
The education minister said a total of 35,42,90,162 textbooks will be distributed among over 4 crore 37 lakh pre-primary, primary, secondary, ibtedayi, dakhil vocational, SSC vocational, small anthropological groups and visually-challenged students across the country.
The present government started distributing free textbooks from 2010 academic year.