Dhaka: Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said her government is making constant efforts to build an educated nation as education is the key tool to make the country free from poverty.

The Prime Minister said this while inaugurating Disbursement of Primary Education Stipend using Mobile Banking from her Gonobhaban residence in Dhaka on Wednesday, reports BSS.

The Prime Minister inaugurated the project titled- ‘Mayer Hasi’ through video conferencing with concerned Deputy Commissioners of the districts, Upazila Nirbahi Officers, students and guardians.

Under the project of Disbursement of Primary Education Stipend using Mobile Banking, the government stipends for 13 million primary students would be disbursed into their mothers mobile banking accounts.

Once receive the stipend, mothers can withdraw the money at nearby Rupali Bank SureCash agents, make payments or save the money in the account for future. The system would expedite financial inclusion of mothers and women empowerment. The Prime Minister hoped that system would reduce hassle and save time of the guardians and ensure transparency in payment system.

She said under the project public sector mobile operator Teletalk has given 2 million SIMs to mothers with free talk time for Taka 20. The government would distribute about Taka 1,600 crore among school students as stipend under the project.

Minister for Primary and Mass Education Advocate Mustafizur Rahman also spoke on the occasion conducted by Principal Secretary Dr Kamal Abdul Naser Chowdhury.

Later, the Prime Minister talked to the beneficiaries of the project, school teachers, guardians of Tungipara upazila of Gopalgonj, Pirgonj of Rangpur and Parbotipur of Dinajpur districts.

Terming the stipend distribution through mobile banking system as a one step forward of the government stride to make a digital Bangladesh, the Prime Minister said her government is working to provide the people with a prosperous life.

Prior to distribution of the stipend, she said many families could not send their children to school, instead deploying them in hard physical labour for living.

‘Many mothers told me that they would send their children to school if we give them same amount of money their children earn to support family,’ the Prime Minister said pointing out her experience during her visit to countryside as opposition leader.

‘At that time we had taken decision to introduce the stipend for poor students if we can come to power,’ she added saying the stipend programme has now emerged as the largest programme in South Asia.

The Prime Minister urged the guardians to groom up their children with the ideology of the War of Independence and keep them away from militancy, terrorism and drug.