Govt to include all pry students in mid-day meal prog
Prime Minister’s Adviser on Education and Primary and Mass Education Mahdi Amin on Saturday announced that the government plans to gradually include all primary school students in a mid-day meal programme to improve nutrition.
“Nearly two crore primary students will be provided with quality tiffin in phases,” he said.
Mahdi Amin made the remarks while speaking at a roundtable titled “From Genome to Bioeconomy: Enhancing Bangladesh’s Biotechnology Capabilities by 2030” at The Business Standard auditorium in Eskaton Garden, Dhaka.
He emphasized that the government is focusing on developing standard, nutritious, and non-perishable food through modern technology-based research. Currently distributed items such as butter buns or bananas spoil quickly, he noted. “We need cost-effective, longer-lasting food solutions to ensure proper nutrition and reduce wastage,” he added.
Highlighting gaps in the education system, Mahdi Amin stressed the need for curriculum reforms to equip students with practical, transferable, and technical skills. He also called for stronger collaboration between industry and academia to create jobs in emerging sectors, including biotechnology.
He further underlined the importance of self-reliance in vaccine production for humans and livestock to reduce import dependency and build a domestic ecosystem.
Additionally, he advocated increasing production of crops like beetroot and mustard using modern agricultural technologies to strengthen food security.
Addressing the challenge of human capital, Mahdi Amin said efforts are underway to transform “brain drain” into “brain circulation” by engaging expatriate researchers through joint initiatives.
He expressed optimism that effective use of biotechnology could improve livelihoods and empower the public.
The roundtable also featured addresses by Adviser on Posts, Telecommunications and ICT and Science and Technology Rehan Asif Asad and UGC Chairman Prof. Dr. Mamun Ahmed, among others.
