NOAKHALI, June 22: Education Minister Dr ANM Ehsanul Hoque Milon said education is the greatest asset for all citizens, adding that the government has given the highest priority to the education sector in the national budget.
He made the remarks on Monday while speaking as the chief guest at the 20th University Day celebration and Dean’s and Vice-Chancellor’s Award ceremony at Noakhali Science and Technology University (NSTU).
“The Prime Minister’s main focus is education. If you ask about the favourite sector, the answer will be education every time,” he said, adding that education remains central to the government’s development vision.
The minister said strengthening education is essential to turn the country’s large population into skilled human resources. He stressed the importance of expanding technical and vocational education from an early stage.
“We are considering introducing technical education from Class Six. If we can properly train our population, national income will increase many times,” he said.
Dr Milon also said the government is working to modernise madrasa education alongside general and technical education.
Criticising previous administrations, the minister said madrasa teachers had faced delays in receiving salaries for May and June due to administrative weaknesses.
He referred to an Electronic Fund Transfer (EFT) project initiated in 2017 with an estimated cost of Tk 10 crore, which later increased to Tk 80 crore but remained incomplete.
He also said around 17,000 madrasa teachers were recruited earlier but an automatic salary payment system was not established.
“More than Tk 500 crore is required every month for madrasa teachers’ salaries. We had Tk 100 crore in hand and have already allocated it. We will clear outstanding salaries in July,” he said.
He added that delayed salary payments create serious hardship for teachers dependent on monthly income.
“A one-month delay in salary causes immense suffering for a madrasa teacher and their family. Proper systems were not implemented in the past,” he said.
The minister said the government is now prioritising reforms in education financing and administration to ensure transparency and timely payments.
He praised Prime Minister Tarique Rahman’s leadership, saying the Prime Minister continuously focuses on the country’s future development.
“We are fortunate to have a Prime Minister like Tarique Rahman. I have not seen such leadership in my lifetime,” he said.
Dr Milon also said the Prime Minister’s vision is aligned with the aspirations of the people and the legacy of late President Ziaur Rahman.
He said the country had “regained a new direction” through the July student-public movement, and building a stronger Bangladesh was the shared goal of the leadership and people.
“The dream is to build a capable new generation. That is how Bangladesh will move forward,” he said.
NSTU Vice-Chancellor Prof Dr Golam Rabbani chaired the programme. Special guests included Noakhali-4 MP Md Shahjahan, University Grants Commission Chairman Prof Dr Mamun Ahmed, and NSTU Pro-Vice-Chancellor Dr Muhammad Shafiqul Islam.
A total of 49 teachers and students received Dean’s Awards for academic and research excellence, while three individuals were given Vice-Chancellor’s Awards for outstanding performance.
Earlier in the morning, the Education Minister inaugurated the University Day programme by cutting a cake, releasing pigeons, and leading a colourful rally on the campus.
