Over 10 million primary students to receive free uniforms, bags

The government has announced plans to provide free school uniforms, shoes, socks and bags to more than 10.7 million students enrolled in government primary schools, with a pilot distribution programme set to begin in July.

The initiative, aimed at fulfilling an election pledge and implementing the Prime Minister's directive, was announced by State Minister for Primary and Mass Education Bobby Hajjaj following a meeting at the Secretariat on Monday.

Under the pilot phase, more than 350,000 students will receive free school uniforms, shoes, socks and bags. The first phase will cover around 100,000 students, with distribution to the remaining beneficiaries to follow gradually.

Officials said the pilot programme is expected to be completed by December. Based on its outcomes, the government plans to launch the nationwide distribution programme in all government primary schools from January next year.

More than 25,000 government primary schools across the country will be included in the pilot project to ensure representation from every upazila. The Ministry of Textiles and Jute will support the programme by supplying 500,000 jute school bags free of charge.

According to the ministry, the bags will be waterproof to protect students' books and learning materials during the rainy season. Any shortcomings identified during the pilot phase will be addressed before the nationwide rollout.

The government hopes the programme will help improve access to education, reduce dropout rates and ease the financial burden on families. Officials said the Prime Minister is expected to formally inaugurate the initiative.