State Minister for Primary and Mass Education Bobby Hajjaj. File Photo

DHAKA, July 3, 2026 (BSS) - The vigilance of a school guardian committee helped prevent the distribution of substandard eggs among students at a government primary school in Meherpur, prompting swift intervention by State Minister for Primary and Mass Education Bobby Hajjaj, who ordered an immediate investigation and necessary action.

The incident came to light after allegations surfaced that inferior-quality food items had been supplied under the school feeding programme at Banshbariya Government Primary School in Gangni upazila.

Acting on the state minister's directive, the Upazila Education Office carried out an on-the-spot investigation.

The inquiry found that 20 of the 133 eggs supplied for students on July 1 were of inferior quality. Members of the school's guardian committee detected the problem before the food was distributed and immediately informed the supplier, Sushilan.

Responding promptly, the supplier replaced all defective eggs with fresh and standard-quality ones within an hour, ensuring that only safe and quality food was served to the students.

The investigation also found that the bread supplied under the programme met the required quality standards. 

State Minister Bobby Hajjaj said the government would not compromise under any circumstances on the health and safety of primary school students.

"We are following a zero-tolerance policy in maintaining quality standards under the school feeding programme. The supplier concerned and field-level officials must discharge their responsibilities with greater diligence to ensure that such incidents do not recur," he said.

Highlighting the importance of community participation, the state minister said the guardian committees were introduced to involve parents directly in monitoring students' welfare and the quality of school meals.

"The incident at Banshbariya Government Primary School has demonstrated the effectiveness of this initiative. Thanks to the committee's timely intervention, the defective eggs were identified before distribution, completely eliminating any potential health risk for the children," he added.

The state minister also expressed hope that the active role of guardian committees would further strengthen transparency, accountability and quality assurance in the school feeding programme across the country.
 
On May 18 this year, the Ministry of Primary and Mass Education, following the state minister's directive, constituted five-member guardian committees comprising mothers in government primary schools nationwide to oversee school feeding activities and safeguard students' overall well-being.