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Students to get free bags, clothing, footwear soon: Bobby
State Minister for Primary and Mass Education Bobby Hajjaj today said students of government primary schools across the country will soon receive free school bags, clothing and footwear.
"In line with the directives of Prime Minister Tarique Rahman, the ministry has already started working to implement the initiative," he said at a views-exchange meeting with leading leather goods and footwear manufacturers at the ministry's conference room at the Bangladesh Secretariat here.
Speaking at the meeting, the state minister said the government has undertaken a pilot programme under which quality school shoes will initially be distributed among first-grade students.
He said several leading corporate institutions have assured support for the programme through donations under their Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) activities.
"We want this initiative to become not merely a distribution programme, but a dignified and integrated support system for the children," he said.
Bobby Hajjaj stressed the importance of maintaining uniformity in the quality, style and production process of the shoes, saying differences in product quality among companies could create unequal experiences for children.
He also emphasized determining an acceptable standard for the footwear based on the opinions of participating institutions.
Under the pilot phase, shoes will be distributed among all first-grade students of two government primary schools in each upazila, covering nearly 100,000 students nationwide.
During the meeting, the state minister directed officials to form a committee to determine the technical and quality standards for the programme.
The committee will comprise representatives from the ministry, technical experts, specialists from the Institute of Leather Engineering and Technology and Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET), along with one representative from each participating company.
He underscored the need for involving technical experts to ensure that the design, quality testing and certification processes meet international standards.
The state minister said the pilot initiative is expected to be implemented quickly under the government's 180-day programme, expressing optimism that the activities could be completed within a short time as the companies already regularly manufacture such footwear, reports BSS.
Secretary of the Ministry of Primary and Mass Education Md. Sakhawat Hossain and other senior officials were present at the meeting.