Bangladesh is observing World Teachers’ Day today, Monday, under the theme “Standing with Teachers: Sixty Years of Protecting the Profession, Advancing Its Status, Shaping Our Futures.”
The decision to observe October 5 as World Teachers’ Day was taken at UNESCO’s 26th General Conference held in Paris in 1993. The day was observed for the first time in 1994, while different countries began marking it from 1995.
Like other countries around the world, Bangladesh is observing the day with due importance.
As part of the celebrations, a “Distinguished Teachers’ Honour” ceremony will be held at the Osmani Memorial Auditorium in the capital this afternoon. Prime Minister Tarique Rahman is scheduled to attend the central event as the chief guest and present each honoured teacher with Tk 200,000, a crest and a certificate.
For the first time, 100 selected teachers from primary to higher education will receive national-level recognition in different categories this year.
The Ministry of Education said the scope of the national honour has been expanded from 12 teachers to 100 this year to enhance the social status of distinguished teachers and ensure greater professional recognition.
The recipients were selected from educational institutions at the primary, secondary and higher-secondary levels—including schools, colleges, madrasas and technical institutions—as well as universities.
Under this year’s World Teachers’ Day guidelines issued by the Ministry of Education, the day will be observed at educational institutions as well as at upazila, district and national levels.
According to the ministry, the 100 teachers being honoured this year include 10 from the primary level, 20 from the secondary level, 25 from colleges, 20 from general universities, 10 from medical colleges, three from agricultural universities, three from engineering universities, four from science and technology and other specialised universities, and five under the Prime Minister’s special quota.
A national steering committee finalised the 100 recipients from panels prepared by separate search committees formed by the Directorate of Primary Education, Directorate of Secondary and Higher Education, Directorate of Technical and Madrasa Education, and the University Grants Commission (UGC).
