Desk report,
‘Evolutionary’ impact of food-for-education program
The role of some visionary policies is very important behind the remarkable achievements of education, women’s empowerment and economic development in Bangladesh in the last three decades. Among them, the education for food or cash program launched by the BNP government under the leadership of the then Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia in 1993 became a milestone in the education sector of Bangladesh.
‘Evolutionary’ impact of food-for-education program
This groundbreaking initiative to bring girls from poverty-prone families to school radically changed the social structure of Bangladesh and brought long-term demographic and economic benefits. The 31-point state repair program announced by the BNP today is based on the lessons and experiences of this historic initiative, which brings BNP’s commitment to inclusive, evidence-based development to the fore.
In the early 1990s, the education sector of Bangladesh was in deep crisis. Due to poverty, social prejudice and gender discrimination, millions of children, especially girls, were out of school. This deprivation perpetuated a vicious cycle of child marriage, high birth rates and female illiteracy, which became a major obstacle to national development.
To address this crisis, the BNP government launched the ‘Food for Education’ programme in 1993, which was later expanded to include cash assistance. The basic principle of the programme was to encourage poor families to send their daughters to school regularly in exchange for food grains or cash. This initiative reduced the cost of education for poor families and created a strong incentive for girls to pursue education.
The role of some visionary policies is very important behind the remarkable achievements of education, women’s empowerment and economic development in Bangladesh in the last three decades. Among them, the education for food or cash program launched by the BNP government under the leadership of the then Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia in 1993 became a milestone in the education sector of Bangladesh.
This groundbreaking initiative to bring girls from poverty-prone families to school radically changed the social structure of Bangladesh and brought long-term demographic and economic benefits. The 31-point state repair program announced by the BNP today is based on the lessons and experiences of this historic initiative, which brings BNP’s commitment to inclusive, evidence-based development to the fore.
In the early 1990s, the education sector of Bangladesh was in deep crisis. Due to poverty, social prejudice and gender discrimination, millions of children, especially girls, were out of school. This deprivation perpetuated a vicious cycle of child marriage, high birth rates and female illiteracy, which became a major obstacle to national development.
To address this crisis, the BNP government launched the ‘Food for Education’ programme in 1993, which was later expanded to include cash assistance. The basic principle of the programme was to encourage poor families to send their daughters to school regularly in exchange for food grains or cash. This initiative reduced the cost of education for poor families and created a strong incentive for girls to pursue education.
