The government is set to allocate a special grant amounting to Taka 6.41 crore for 7,100 teachers, students, and educational institutions across the country.
The recipients comprise 101 educational institutions, 250 teachers and staff, 4,047 secondary school students, and 2,702 students from colleges and universities, according to an official letter signed by Liuza-ul-Jannah, Deputy Secretary of budget section of the Secondary and Higher Education Department in Ministry of Education issued June 17.
The letter mentioned that the decision has been taken to distribute the money allocated in the "Special Grants" sector of the Secondary and Higher Education Department in the current fiscal year.
According to the decision, 101 educational institutions will be given a total of Taka 1.01 crore, Taka one lakh each, while 250 teachers and employees will be given Taka 30,000 each, totaling Taka 75 lakh.
Besides, a total of Taka 3 crore 23 lakh and 76 thousand has been allocated for 4,047 secondary school students with Taka 8,000 each, while 1,428 students of 11th and 12th grades will be given Taka 9,000 each totaling Taka 1 crore 28 lakh 52 thousand.
In addition, 1,274 students of graduation and above will be given Taka 10,000 each, amounting a total of Taka 1 crore 27 lakh and 40 thousand.
The letter also said that the allocated money will be distributed through the Bangladesh Post Department's digital financial service "Nagad".
The money of the educational institutions will be sent online to their respective bank accounts, while the money of teachers and employees and students will be sent directly to "Nagad" through mobile banking.
A policy regarding special allocations for all private general educational institutions, as well as for teachers and students of both government and private institutions, was earlier formulated through a letter signed by Dr Sheikh Abdur Rashid, who was then the Senior Secretary of the Secondary and Higher Education Division of the Ministry of Education.
It said that a nine-member district-level committee with the Deputy Commissioner (DC) as the president and the District Education Officer as the member secretary will be formed to scrutinize the applications, and a 13-member final scrutiny committee with the Additional Secretary (Administration and Finance) of the Ministry of Education as the convener and the Deputy Secretary/Senior Assistant Secretary (Budget) as the member secretary will be formed.
According to ministry sources, in providing grants, priority has been given to developing educational institutions in backward areas, teachers and employees suffering from incurable diseases, and students from the distressed, disabled, third gender, helpless, sick, poor, talented and backward communities.
Specifically, grants have been allocated for teachers and students suffering from cancer, heart disease, kidney disease, hepatitis, diabetes, paralysis, chest disease, prosthetic limbs and serious injuries in accidents.
Siddique Zobair, Senior Secretary of the Secondary and Higher Education Division of the Ministry of Education, told BSS, "The government is working to spread education equally to all. To this end, special grants are being allocated to backward but well-performing educational institutions as well as to support affected teachers, staff and students."
Source: BSS
Bd-pratidin English/Lutful Hoque
