Bangabandhu fellowship to be reintroduced soon: PM
Wednesday, 6 April 2011
Prime Minister (PM) Sheikh Hasina Tuesday said that the Bangabandhu fellowship would be reintroduced soon to help students pursue postgraduate studies and researches in various fields, reports BSS.
The PM gave the assurance when a delegation of the newly-elected office bearers of Dhaka University Teachers' Association ((DUTA), led by its President Prof Dr Anwar Hossain, called on her at her office in the city Tuesday.
Adviser to the Prime Minister on Education Prof Dr Alauddin Ahmed and Press Secretary Abul Kalam Azad were present on the occasion.
The previous Awami League government in 1999 introduced the fellowship, which was suspended by the BNP-led four-party alliance government after 2001.
The DUTA delegation requested the Prime Minister to increase the service age of the freedom fighter teachers by at least two years and raise their house rent and other facilities.
Briefing newsmen after the meeting, PM's Press Secretary Abul Kalam Azad said that at the very outset of the meeting, Sheikh Hasina congratulated the Dhaka University authorities on receiving the prestigious "Independence Award-2011" for its outstanding contribution during the country's War of Liberation in 1971.
In this context, she recalled Dhaka University's challenging role in restoring democracy after the 1/11 changeover.
The Prime Minister expressed satisfaction over the congenial academic atmosphere prevailing in Dhaka University after the present Awami League assumed government office.
Referring to various development programmes undertaken by her government, Sheikh Hasina said no country could achieve development when anti-liberation forces stay in power.
The Prime Minister said that Bangladesh could not achieve its desired development as the anti-liberation forces ruled the country several years after the brutal assassination of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman on August 15, 1975.
She said her government would provide stipend to meritorious but poor students from Trust Fund while her government has introduced education policy to help raise the literacy rate and improve the standard of education.