Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today hoped that the country would achieve 100 percent literacy rate soon, saying a hunger and poverty-free Bangladesh could not be established without an educated nation.
“The country already gained 71 percent literacy rate thanks to various pragmatic steps of our government. We hope that we could achieve 100 percent literacy rate soon…we think that establishing a hunger and poverty-free Bangladesh is not possible without an educated nation,” she said.
In this connection, the Premier called upon the well-off people of society to come forward to further develop the educational institutions to achieve the goal of achieving 100 percent literacy rate.
The Prime Minister said this while addressing the platinum jubilee celebration of Madan Mohan College as the chief guest here this afternoon.
Finance Minister and Chairman of the college governing body Abul Maal Abdul Muhith presided over the function and placed obituary references, while Education Minister Nurul Islam Nahid, State Minister for Finance and Planning MA Mannan, Education Secretary Sohrab Hossain, a member of the founding family of the college, Shukhendu Bikash Das, were present as special guests.
Vice-Chancellor of National University Dr Harun-or-Rashid delivered the “platinum jubilee lecture” at the function, while AL central organizing secretary and member of college governing body Advocate Misbahuddin Siraj, Sylhet Sadar Upazila Chairman Ashfaq Ahmed, member of college governing body and former student Bizit Chowdhury, former vice-president of college students union Asaduddin Ahmed also spoke on the occasion.
Principal of the college and president of the platinum jubilee celebration committee Professor Abul Fazal delivered the welcome address.
Spelling out her government steps for further development of education sector, the Prime Minister said her government has given the highest priority to education to build a hunger and poverty-free Sonar Bangla as dreamt by Bangabandhu.
Sheikh Hasina said her government has taken various measures to make the country’s education system time-befitting and science and technology based.
“We want to ensure quality education for all. That’s why we have given priority to science and technology based education and our government during 1996-2001 took measures to establish 12 science and technology universities,” she said.
She said her government set up Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University in Dhaka to ensure higher education for medical students, while the work on setting up such universities in Chittagong and Rajshahi is underway.
“Such a university would also be established in Sylhet as per a plan of the government to set up a medical universities in all divisional headquarters,” she said.
Extending her sincere thanks to able sons Madan Mohan Das for establishing the Madan Mohan College after the name of his father, the Prime Minister hinted at nationalization of the college following the demand of all quarters of the divisional city.
“There is only demand from all– that is nationalization of the college and the honorable finance minister has a big role in this regard. I think where there is finance minister, there won’t be any problem in nationalization of the college,” she said.
Sheikh Hasina said after independence, Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman had undertaken massive programs by giving topmost priority to education in the process of rebuilding war-ravaged Bangladesh.
The Prime Minister said Bangabandhu constructed new schools and colleges side by side with reconstructing damaged and burnt ones. He also constituted the Madrasa Education Board for modernization of madrasa education alongside expansion of technical and vocational education.
The Premier said whenever her government took office; it worked for the development of education on the path showed by the Father of the Nation.
