Primary and Mass Education Ministry Adviser Bidhan Ranjan Roy Poddar has said improving the quality of higher education is impossible without first strengthening primary education.
He said sustainable national development requires a knowledgeable, skilled and disciplined workforce, which must be built on a strong primary education foundation.
The Adviser made these remarks as the chief guest at a discussion meeting and publication ceremony for the book titled “Establishment History of Jatiya Kabi Kazi Nazrul Islam University ” held on Saturday at a hotel in Dhanmondi.
The event was organised by the Greater Mymensingh Cultural Forum.
Adviser Poddar said universities should not be narrowly specialised, arguing that a complete university must be a convergence of diverse streams of knowledge.
He said Jatiya Kabi Kazi Nazrul Islam University would achieve true success only when multidimensional knowledge practices are firmly established there.
Referring to Mymensingh, particularly Trishal, he said the area holds deep significance in the life and legacy of Kazi Nazrul Islam, describing the poet as inseparable from the nation’s collective consciousness.
He said while society was divided along religious lines during Partition, Nazrul’s non-communal and humanist ideals remained indivisible.
Adviser Poddar said the Liberation War marked Bangladesh’s transition from religion-based state thinking to a nation-state, which he described as a victory of Nazrul’s ideals.
He said a nation-state must be founded on rights and commitments, ensuring equality, dignity and opportunity for all citizens, and stressed the need to safeguard the rights and existence of ethnic minorities.
The adviser said institutional research and practice on Nazrul’s literature, poetry, songs and philosophy remain inadequate despite his status as National Poet, underscoring the need to strengthen Nazrul studies.
Turning to primary education, he said although it has been declared compulsory and universal, government primary schools continue to suffer from various forms of mismanagement.
He said many influential members of society do not send their children to government primary schools, reflecting deeper systemic challenges.
Adviser Poddar said the ministry is working to overcome limitations but warned that failure to properly establish primary education would ultimately hinder national progress.
The discussion meeting was presided over by Greater Mymensingh Cultural Forum President ASM Abdul Halim and attended by forum members and professionals from different fields.
