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SANGSAD BHABAN, July 14, 2026 (BSS) – Education Minister Dr. A N M Ehsanul Hoque Milon today said the government has been implementing a set of initiatives to preserve the languages of indigenous communities and expand mother tongue-based education, alongside measures to recruit and train teachers locally to address the shortage of qualified instructors.

He made the remarks while responding to a call attention notice on matters of public importance raised under Rule 71 by treasury bench member Anna Minj (Reserved Women’s Seat-19) in the Jatiya Sangsad.

The minister said that during the tenure of Shaheed President Ziaur Rahman, various initiatives were undertaken to promote the education and culture of indigenous communities. 

Later, during the government of Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia in 2002, the International Mother Language Institute was established and entrusted with preserving indigenous languages, including 30 endangered languages.

He said pre-primary and primary level textbooks are currently being developed and distributed in five indigenous languages—Chakma, Marma, Tripura, Garo and Santal. 

“The National Academy for Primary Education (NAPE) has also incorporated instruction in these mother tongues into the weekly class routine of primary schools, and the programme is being implemented.”

The minister said that in 2026, a total of 450 teachers are being trained in teaching through indigenous languages in 15 batches at five Primary Teachers’ Training Institutes (PTIs).

Replying to a supplementary question from Anna Minj regarding the shortage of teachers proficient in indigenous languages and the government’s plan to ensure quality education, Milon said the National Curriculum and Textbook Board (NCTB) is publishing 37 new textbooks this year in the same five mother tongues.

He said the government has also taken a policy decision to expand Multilingual Education (MLE) beyond Chakma, Garo, Marma, Tripura and Santal to other indigenous languages.

The minister said indigenous communities are an integral part of Bangladesh and the government is committed to ensuring their constitutional rights by providing mother tongue-based education, textbooks and other facilities available at government primary schools.

He added that the shortage of teachers in the Chattogram Hill Tracts remains a major challenge, and the government has taken initiatives to recruit teachers locally and provide them with the necessary training to improve the quality of education.