State Minister for Primary and Mass Education Bobby Hajjaj. Photo : collected

DHAKA, June 18, 2026 (BSS) - Prime Minister Tarique Rahman is expected to attend the final matches of the Government Primary School Gold Cup Football Tournament at the National Stadium on June 20.

State Minister for Primary and Mass Education Bobby Hajjaj has announced this at a press conference at the ministry here today.

He said over 1 crore students, over 400,000 teachers, and millions of people were directly or indirectly involved in the competition.

The tournament is not merely a sporting competition; it is a major initiative aimed at ensuring the healthy development of children and adolescents for fostering leadership qualities among them, he said.

Hajjaj said his ministry is working with international football organizations to arrange world-class training camps or overseas training opportunities for the winning teams.

Hajjaj urged media to give such events wider coverage in the future so that the achievements of the country’s talented children and youth can be highlighted.

He said the country’s women footballers have already earned international recognition and brought honor to the country.

He said the government will provide necessary support to develop both male and female players into world-class athletes in the future.

The government is working to develop a comprehensive education framework that integrates sports, culture, science, mathematics, and innovative thinking rather than relying solely on textbook-based learning.

He said that misconceptions have arisen in some quarters regarding education reform, with some believing that the government is focusing only on culture and sports.

In reality, the state minister said, the government is giving equal importance to language education, mathematics, science, technology, culture, and sports.

He also announced plans to gradually establish ‘Math Labs’ in primary schools to help students overcome their fear of mathematics.

At the same time, initiatives are being taken to establish modern science laboratories to promote science education as there is no alternative to science and technology education in meeting the challenges of the 4th Industrial Revolution.

He said one of the government’s key objectives is to move the current generation away from a lifestyle dependent on mobile phones and tablets and engage them in creative and positive activities.

For this reason, cultural education, sports, and creative activities are being incorporated as integral parts of education.

He said various governance-based competitions are being introduced to foster good governance and civic responsibility.

As a pilot initiative, such a programme has been launched with students from the Dhaka-13 constituency and will be expanded gradually.

He said that the government is working to implement the concept of ‘Happiness Classrooms’ so that students can enjoy a pleasant learning environment from the moment they enter school until they leave.

By making education enjoyable, participatory, and practical, it will be possible to develop skilled, humane, and responsible citizens for the future.