DHAKA, Sept 7, 2021 (BSS) - Like other countries around the globe,
Bangladesh will observe the International Literacy Day-2021 tomorrow
emphasizing narrowing the digital divide to boost up the literacy rate.

  This year's theme of the day is "Literacy for human-centred recovery:
Narrowing the digital divide".

  President M Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina issued separate
messages on the eve of the day wishing all programmes of the day a success.

  The President, in his message, said along with overall improvement of the
country's education system, the government is implementing multipurpose
activities to boost up the literacy and develop skills. The global pandemic
Coronavirus has crippled the whole world making the educational activities in
the country difficult, Hamid said, adding in such a condition the government
launched a teaching a programme titled "Ghore Bose Shikhi" simultaneously in
Sangsad Bangladesh Television, Bangladesh Betar aiming at fulfilling the
education gap of the students.

   Noting that the educated people are the resource of the country, the head
of the state said in the Non-Formal Education Act, 2014, importance has been
attached to the development of human resources, creating opportunities for
education throughout life, stipend-oriented education in the non-formal
education system, development of entrepreneurs, employment-oriented training
and information and communication technology (ICT) as well as literacy.

  Hamid urged all, including public representatives, non-government
organizations (NGOs) and civil society members, to work together along with
the government to achieve the desired targets of the country's development by
creating skilled manpower through imparting proper education.

  Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, in her message, said the literacy rate of the
country now stands at 75.6 per cent which was 56.8 per cent in 2010 since the
present Awami League (AL) government is implementing multipurpose programmes
for increasing the literacy and develop the skills to improve the living
standard of the country's illiterate people.

   The government is currently implementing an action plan to impart literacy
knowledge to 21 lakh illiterate people aged between 15 and 45 years across
the country in the 'Mujib Year' marking the birth centenary of Father of the
Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, she said. The education programme
for 10 lakh children, who are out of schools, aged between eight and 14 years
are underway, the head of the government said, adding that the students
remain connected to their academic activities through Sangsad Bangladesh
Television and Bangladesh Betar as schools, colleges, universities and other
non-formal education centres remain closed due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

  The strategy of imparting literacy knowledge to all illiterate people has
been determined in the 8th five-year plan (2021-2025) aiming at forwarding
towards the global concept of life-long education, Sheikh Hasina said. To
implement the strategy, recommendation has been made to take initiative for
increasing the opportunity for ICT based life-long education, the premier
said, adding that the life-long education has been encouraged in the United
Nations Sustainable Development Goal-4. The 8th of September was proclaimed
as International Literacy Day by UNESCO in 1966 to remind the international
community of the importance of literacy for individuals, communities and
societies, and the need for intensified efforts towards more literate
societies.

  The issue of literacy is a key component of the UN's Sustainable
Development Goals and the UN's 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

  The Prime Minister hoped building a hunger, poverty and illiteracy-free
'Sonar Bangladesh' as dreamt by Father of the Nation through achieving cent
per cent literacy and building skilled manpower with united efforts of all
within a quickest possible time as per the plan.