Prime Minister Tarique Rahman on Wednesday placed a series of policy priorities before the Parliament, highlighting his government’s focus on family-centric development, comprehensive education reforms, women’s empowerment and long-term tourism advancement.
Replying to a tabled question from treasury bench member Barrister AM Mahbub Uddin Khokon (Noakhali-1), the Prime Minister said the government considers the family - not the individual - as the fundamental unit of development.
“The philosophy of the current government is ‘family, not the individual, as the fundamental unit of development’,” he said, adding that a nationwide Family Card programme has been undertaken to ensure social security.
He informed the Parliament that Family Cards were distributed to 37,814 families across 10 districts and three city corporations on 10 March this year as part of the initial phase. The government plans to gradually bring around four crores of marginalised and low-income families under the programme. He also expressed hope that poor women in the Noakhali-1 constituency would soon be included to promote empowerment and self-reliance.
In response to another question from treasury bench lawmaker from Sirajganj-1 constituency Md Salim Reza, the Prime Minister highlighted broader education sector reforms.
Tarique Rahman told the Parliament that the government has identified 43 key areas and is implementing short, medium and long-term plans to improve the sector. He reiterated the commitment to increase education spending to 5 per cent of GDP, as outlined in the ruling party’s election manifesto.
Describing education as the best investment for the nation, he said steps have been taken to ensure a quality, life-oriented and inclusive system. Among key initiatives, the government will distribute free school uniforms to 2 lakh primary students this fiscal year, with plans to expand nationwide.
To address nutritional needs, a phased school feeding or mid-day meal programme will be introduced across all upazilas. The government also plans to establish multimedia classrooms in all educational institutions and provide free Wi-Fi connectivity in 1,500 institutions, along with introducing a unique “Edu-ID” for students and teachers.
The Prime Minister further said technical education will be made mandatory at the secondary level, with plans to establish technical schools in every upazila and polytechnic institutes in every district. Free Wi-Fi will also be launched in 2,336 technical institutions and 8,232 madrasahs within the next 180 days.
Additionally, training programmes in artificial intelligence, cyber-security, mobile app development, Python programming and digital marketing will be provided to students through the Bangladesh Computer Council.
Replying to another question from lawmaker Ekramul Bari Tipu (Naogaon-4), the Prime Minister reaffirmed the government’s commitment to women’s empowerment and equal access to education.
He said the government is considering nationalising one women’s college in every upazila sadar to expand educational opportunities for women. In line with existing policies and subject to financial provisions, eligible institutions, including Manda Thana Adarsha Girls’ School and College, will be brought under nationalisation gradually.
On tourism, replying to a question from Dewan Mohammod Salahuddin (Dhaka-19), the Prime Minister said the government has adopted comprehensive plans to boost the sector, recognising its importance to the national economy.
He said the election manifesto includes commitments to ensure tourist safety, develop tourism-friendly policies, train tour guides, and expand culinary, community-based, eco and rural tourism.
A draft National Tourism Master Plan has already been prepared, outlining strategies for the next two decades. The plan includes provisions for legal frameworks, tourism clusters, infrastructure development, heritage preservation, coastal tourism expansion and biodiversity protection.
The Prime Minister noted that more than 30 districts currently have recognised tourist destinations and that initiatives are underway to develop region-specific tourism facilities to ensure balanced growth across the country.
.jpg "Bangladesh records 4 more measles-related deaths in past 24 hours")
