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PM-UGC-AWARD 2 DHAKA
The premier mentioned the investment in the education sector as the most effective tool for the development of the country and said the government always thinks that spending money for education is an investment.
“I never see spending money for education as an expense. I consider it as an investment,” she said.
Sheikh Hasina said though the public universities are autonomous bodies, more than 90 percent of their expenditure comes from the government exchequer and the share sometimes stands at 100 percent or more.
“Whatever development needed for the universities is done by the government and we’re doing this so that the country never steps backward,” she added.
She said that spending money for education will build the future generation which will help materialise Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman’s dream of establishing ‘Sonar Bangla’.
Stressing the need for establishing Higher Education Commission for improving standard of higher education, she said the commission is being constituted as it is not possible for the UGC alone to accomplish all activities of the universities.
“The infrastructure and development of the commission will be made in line with the directives of the Father of the Nation,” she said.
Sheikh Hasina said the “Accreditation Council Act” has been passed in Parliament to ensure quality of education at the universities.
The premier asked the meritorious students to play a pioneering role in their working life through talent, patriotism and sacrifice for the development of the country and the nation.
“I hope you’ll give proper and right leadership to the country and the nation in future … More dynamism will be infused and peace will be established in society due to your talent, knowledge and work,” she said.
Sheikh Hasina recalled that Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, immediately after independence in 1972, had recognized education as the constitutional rights of the people.
Bangabandhu reconstructed thousands of damaged schools and colleges and built new ones, she said, adding he also established the University Grants Commission (UGC) in 1973 for the flourishing of higher education.
The premier said the Father of the Nation constituted the Qudrat-e-Khuda Education Commission in 1972 for the development of education and the noted educationist and scientist submitted his report.
But after the assassination of Bangabandhu, she said, nobody executed the report, rather serious anarchy was created on the campus by handing over arms to the students instead of books.
Sheikh Hasina said since assuming office in 2009, her government has been working by giving priority to education, health and social safety. The literacy rate has increased to 73 percent thanks to the highest allocation in the education sector and implementation of massive uplift programmes, she added.
“We want that the literacy rate of the country increases to cent percent and we’re working to achieve the target,” she said.
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