PM promises full support to expand mathematics education

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman has said the government will provide whatever support is needed in the future to expand mathematics education and Math Olympiad activities across the country.

He made the remarks on Thursday (August 13) during a courtesy meeting with Bangladeshi students who won medals at the International Mathematical Olympiad (IMO) and the European Girls’ Mathematical Olympiad (EGMO) at the Prime Minister’s Office in the Bangladesh Secretariat.

The Prime Minister’s Deputy Press Secretary Shahadat Swadhin shared the information.

He said the medal-winning students exchanged greetings with the prime minister and shared their experiences and achievements from participating in the Math Olympiad.

The prime minister congratulated them and wished them greater success in the future.

During the meeting, the Bangladesh Girls’ Mathematical Foundation sought the prime minister’s support to expand and strengthen Math Olympiad activities at the grassroots level. He assured them that the government would provide all necessary support for the initiative.

When a proposal was made to create a fund to run and expand Math Olympiad activities at the school level, the prime minister immediately agreed to provide funding through the Ministry of Education.

The Bangladesh Mathematical Olympiad Committee (BdMO) also proposed introducing activity-oriented mathematics at the school level, and the prime minister agreed to the proposal.

Another proposal was made to introduce a separate mathematics skills assessment for school teachers, similar to the IELTS test used to assess English-language skills. The prime minister assured them that he would give the proposal serious consideration.

Education Minister A N M Ehsanul Haque Milan, the prime minister’s adviser on education, primary and mass education and spokesperson for the Prime Minister’s Office Mahdi Amin, IMO national coach Mahbubul Alam Majumder, Bangladesh Girls’ Mathematical Foundation Chair Professor Sadia Hamid Kazi, and BdMO member Md. Abdul Hakim Khan were present at the meeting.

Also present were Monami Zaman of Viqarunnisa Noon School and College, an IMO and EGMO bronze medalist; Md. Raihan Siddiqui of Chattogram College, an IMO silver medalist; Jawad Hamim Chowdhury of Dhaka Imperial College, an IMO bronze medalist; Mohammad Marzuk Rahman of Cantonment English School and College, an IMO bronze medalist; Tahsin Khan of Ananda Mohan College, an IMO bronze medalist; M. Jamiul Hossain of Rajuk Uttara Model School and College, an IMO bronze medalist; and Saji Sehnai of Rajuk Uttara Model School and College, an EGMO bronze medalist.