Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Monday (24 June) said her government has made the country's education system multi-dimensional and creative prioritising science and technology to maintain global standards in the ever-changing world.
"We have arranged a multifaceted education system as employment can be generated both at home and abroad," she said.
The premier said this while inaugurating stipend and tuition fee distribution among insolvent meritorious students from secondary to graduate (pass) and its equivalent level under the Prime Minister's Education Assistance Trust (PMEAT) at a programme at Osmani Memorial Auditorium.
She said her government has so far established 23 public universities and 54 private universities across the country since 2009.
Sensing the global demand, she said they have built multi-dimensional universities that include agriculture, veterinary, animal science, science and technology, medical, digital Islamic, Arabic, textile, maritime, aviation, aerospace and fashion and technology.
The prime minister said her government has given topmost priority to science, technology and research-based education.
"Any country can't keep pace with the ever-changing world without knowledge of science, research and technology. So, we have taken measures aimed at competing with the world," she said.
She added her government first allocated money for research in the budget after 1975.
Her government has allocated Tk100 crore in the budget for boosting research and spreading science and technology education, she continued.
The premier said they formed the Prime Minister's Education Assistance Trust (PMEAT) to help meritorious insolvent students flourish their talents aimed at using their merit for the betterment of the country and mankind.
To this end, she recalled the remark of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman that the education life of any student can't be hampered by poverty.
A total of Tk2,208 crore would be dispensed among more than 6,470,000 students from the secondary, higher secondary, graduation and equivalent levels.
After opening the money disbursement, the premier said the money for the stipends and tuition fees would go directly to the beneficiaries through a digital system.
"I am very happy to disburse the money of stipends and tuition fees among the meritorious students through a digital platform," she said.
Sheikh Hasina also conferred the Bangabandhu Creative Talent Search Award 2024 on 15 students and the Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Scholar Award, 2023 on 21 students.
The Bangabandhu Creative Talent Search awardee 15 students received a certificate and Tk 2 lakh each while the Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Scholar awardee 21 students each received a certificate and Tk3 lakh.
Education Minister Mohibul Hassan Chowdhury, PM's Education and Cultural Affairs Adviser Dr Kamal Abdul Naser Chowdhury, State Minister for Education Begum Shamsun Naher and Education Secretary Suleman Khan, spoke at the function.
Nusrat Jahan Maliha, a class-VIII student of Hazaribagh Girls' School and College; Atifa Rahman, a class-X student of Amena-Baki Residential Model School and College in Dinajpur and Pinak Mugdha Das, a Class-XI student of Government Majid Memorial City College in Khulna on behalf of the awardees under Bangabandhu Creative Talent Search-2024; and two students of Dhaka University (DU) Zarin Tasneem Raisa and Al Foysal Bin Kashem Kanon on behalf of the awardees under Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Scholar Award-2023, also shared their feelings at the function.
