Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has called upon the affluent people to contribute to education stipends, saying it will help the government to extend its support to more students.

The premier made the call after inaugurating a stipend and tuition fee distribution programme for insolvent meritorious students under the Prime Minister's Education Assistance Trust (PMEAT) at the Osmani Memorial Auditorium in Dhaka on Monday.

“There are many prosperous people in our country. Some of them have a lot of money. If those people donate to the trust fund, we [the government] will be able to use it more.”

Hasina also declared a Tk 20 million donation to the fund from the Bangabandhu Memorial Trust. She said, “Sheikh Rehana and I will discuss the matter and make the donation. We are also providing stipends ourselves. If we can donate to the trust, it will make us proud.”

Stating that the main objective of the government is to elevate meritorious students from across the country, she said, “That’s why we are providing assistance through the trust.”

”A total of Tk 22.08 billion will be dispensed among over 6.47 million students from the secondary, higher secondary, graduation and equivalent level.”

After opening the money disbursement, the premier said the money for the stipends and tuition fees will go directly to the beneficiaries through a digital system.

Hasina also conferred the Bangabandhu Creative Talent Search Award-2024 to 15 students and the Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Scholar Award, 2023 to 21 students.

The Bangabandhu Creative Talent Search awardees have received a certificate and Tk 200,000 each while the Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Scholar awardees each received a certificate and Tk 300,000.

The premier said her government is updating the old-fashioned curriculum, introducing a grading system in results and bringing other required changes to match the global standard while trying to develop a system where students can pursue their lessons with joy.

"Our education system should be one where students can pursue their areas of interest, where they won't need to be repeatedly pushed to study, but instead have the desire to study on their own. We want to develop such a system," she said.