Spending on education is an investment, says PM

Prime minister Sheikh Hasina addresses a programme organised to handover Prime Minister Gold Medal 2017, awarded by the University Grants Commission (UGC), at the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) in Dhaka on 25 July. Photo: BSS
Prime minister Sheikh Hasina addresses a programme organised to handover Prime Minister Gold Medal 2017, awarded by the University Grants Commission (UGC), at the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) in Dhaka on 25 July. Photo: BSS

Prime minister Sheikh Hasina on Wednesday said spending money on education sector is a great investment for the future, not an expense.

"I never see spending money on education as an expense, I think it's an investment," the prime minister said.

She said this while distributing the Prime Minister Gold Medal Award at a ceremony organised by the University Grants Commission (UGC) at the Shapla Hall of the Prime Minister's Office (PMO), reports UNB.

Sheikh Hasina said public universities are statutory bodies but "more than 90 per cent of their expenditures-- no, not 90 per cent-- in fact, 100 per cent expenditures are borne by the government... what the development is needed we do that from the government."

She said spending money on education means building the future generation which will be helpful in materialising the dream of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman to make the country a 'Golden Bengal'.

The premier said the students will help continue the country's march forward initiated by the government. "Make sure the country never steps back."

Presided over by UGC chairman professor Abdul Mannan, the function was addressed, among others, by education minister Nurul Islam Nahid, secretary of secondary and higher education division of the ministry Md Sohorab Hossain and UGC member professor Dil Afroza Begum.

Israt Jahan Pia of Jagannath University and Sajan Dhar of Shahjalal University of Science and Technology spoke on behalf of the gold medal recipients.

Earlier, the prime minister handed over the gold medals among 163 talented students of different public and private universities of the country for achieving the highest marks/CGPA in their respective faculties.

The Prime Minister Gold Medal was introduced in 2005 in a bid to encourage the talented university students.

Ministers, advisers to the prime minister, national professors, former UGC chairmen, secretaries of different ministries, UGC members, vice-chancellors of public and private universities, educationists, high officials from Prime Minister's Office and UGC and parents and guardians of the awardees were, among others, present on the occasion.