Open girl guides unit in every female educational institution: Prime Minister

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today asked the authorities concerned to open girl guides unit in every female educational institution to strengthen and expand their (girl guides) activities across the country.

“There are Scouts and Shapla Cub Units in almost all the boys’ schools in the country. But the number of girl guides have not increased in the female educational institutions as expected,” she said.

“Once upon a time, there was a huge number of girl guides in the female educational institutions and we saw it in our childhood,” she added.

The premier said this while distributing Shapla Cub Awards and inaugurating and laying foundation of seven projects of Bangladesh Scouts and Girl Guides Association at Ganabhaban here this afternoon.

Education Minister Nurul Islam Nahid and Primary and Mass Education Minister Advocate Mostafizur Rahman were present as the special guests, while President of Bangladesh Scouts and Principal Coordinator on the SDG Affairs Md Abul Kalam Azad presided over the function.

The prime minister said the education minister and primary and mass education minister as well as high officials of Bangladesh Scouts and Girl Guides Association remain present in this function.

“So I will like to request them to take initiatives for launching girl guides units in all female educational institutions of the country … I think the girl guides should be given more importance,” she noted.

Chief National Commissioner of Bangladesh Scouts Dr Md Mozammel Haque Khan and National Commissioner of Bangladesh Girl Guides Association Syeda Rehana Imam also spoke at the function.

National Commissioner (Programme) of Bangladesh Scouts Md Aatiquzzaman delivered the welcome address.

At the function, two videos on the activities of Bangladesh Scouts and Bangladesh Girl Guides Association were screened.

The prime minister placed emphasis on further strengthening and expanding overall scout movement in the country to prevent social menaces like terrorism, militancy and drug abuse.

She said human qualities are developed among the boys and girls from their childhood if they are engaged in the scout and girl guides units. And when they will grow they will utilze these qualities for the development of the country and the nation, she said.

Sheikh Hasina said social services-oriented work is very important alongside education. “So I think that the Bangladesh Scouts and the Girl Guides Association should be strengthened and expanded further to stop social vices like terrorism, militancy and drug abuse,” she said.

“I do believe that our conscious boys and girls will take the country forward further in future,” she added.

Praising the role of the scouts and girl guides in the country’s development, the premier said they are creating mass awareness about protecting environment by planting trees alongside building up awareness about maintaining austerity in using electricity.

“They’re standing beside the elderly, disabled and distressed people by extending their helping hands,” she said.

The prime minister said: “We will have to make the children well educated and encourage them in patriotism and teach them to love the country and nation so that they can work devotedly for the welfare of the people.”

Sheikh Hasina also elaborated her government’s efforts for strengthening and expanding scout movement in the country, saying that she has directed all concerned to open scout, “shapla cub” and girl guides units in all concerned educational institutions.

The prime minister put emphasis on construction of own buildings in the 10 regional scout centres across the country and said through it the movement will be expanded and strengthened further.

Later, Sheikh Hasina witnessed a colourful cultural function performed by the scouts, Shapla Cubs and girl guides.

Earlier, she inaugurated a 10-storey building of the national office of Bangladesh Girl Guides at Bailey Road and laid the foundation stone of “Shatabdi Bhaban” of Bangladesh Scouts in the capital by unveiling their plaques from Ganabhaban.

She also laid the foundation stones of the 10-storey Academic-cum-Hostel building Mouchak Scout School and College, the six-storey Animation Institution (Studio) Building of the National Scouts Training Centre in Mouchak and development activities of Sylhet Regional Scouts Training Centre and Comilla Regional Scouts Training Centre and opened the National Camp Site of Bangladesh Girl Guide Association in Kaliakoir, Gazipur.

Source: bss