State Minister for Primary and Mass Education Bobby Hajjaj spoke at Shilpakala Academy in Dinajpur. Photo : BSS

DHAKA, AUG 31, 2026, (BSS) - Some 1.10 crore primary school students across the country will be brought under the school feeding programme from next year, State Minister for Primary and Mass Education Bobby Hajjaj said today, adding that the government wants to bring the dropout rate in primary schools down to zero.

“We want to bring the dropout rate in primary schools down to zero. There will be no children dropping out of education in the country,” he said.

He made the remarks at a press briefing after an orientation workshop on the activities of the project titled “Feeding Programme in Government Primary Schools” and a view-exchange meeting on improving the quality of primary education at the auditorium of Dinajpur Shilpakala Academy.

Hajjaj said those who serve low-quality food or commit any irregularity under the school feeding programme would be immediately removed from the list of food suppliers.
He said the school feeding programme would be launched simultaneously in all government primary schools across the country from the 2027 academic year.

By 2028, all government and private primary schools in the country will be brought under an integrated government monitoring framework, he said.

From next year, a pilot “Science Toy” activity will be introduced in primary schools, while eight sports activities will be made compulsory for the physical and mental development of children, he added.

He warned that irregularities involving the use of “proxy teachers” to conduct classes in primary schools or negligence of duty would not be tolerated in any way.

The view-exchange meeting was chaired by Dinajpur Deputy Commissioner Rafiqul Islam. Director (Administration) of the Directorate of Primary Education Mohammad Kamrul Hasan, Project Director (Joint Secretary) of the Feeding Programme in Government Primary Schools Md Abul Amin, Joint Secretary (Budget and Audit) of the Ministry of Primary and Mass Education Ms Israt Jahan, Police Superintendent Md Zedan Al Musa, and District Council Administrator and District BNP President Advocate Md Mofazzal Hossain Dulal, among others, spoke as special guests.

Divisional Deputy Director of Primary Education, Rangpur, Md Azizur Rahman, and Dinajpur District Primary Education Officer Md Saifuzzaman, among others, were present at the programme.

The District Primary Education Officer said the main feature of the programme is that, instead of dry food, students will now be provided with nutritious cooked lunch, or a midday meal.

The programme will be implemented in 363 government primary schools in five upazilas of Dinajpur district. The upazilas are Kaharole, Ghoraghat, Biral, Birampur and Bochaganj.

Through the programme, 68,761 school students in the five upazilas will be brought under the programme.

Head teachers of 363 government primary schools from the five upazilas participated in the orientation workshop.