Minister for Education and Primary and Mass Education ANM Ehsanul Hoque Milon on Sunday informed the Jatiya Sangsad of a series of sweeping reforms and development initiatives aimed at restructuring the country’s primary and mass education sectors.

During a productive question-and-answer session, the Minister detailed changes to digital transfer systems, the progress of five major development projects, and a significant proposal to recruit thousands of religious teachers.

Digital Transfer System to Undergo Adjustments for Local Needs

Responding to a query from Dewan Mohammod Salahuddin (Dhaka-19), Minister Milon acknowledged that the government is considering necessary changes to the digital transfer system for primary school teachers to make it "more balanced and responsive to local needs."

The Minister noted that while the previous government introduced a computerized system, it has led to imbalances in areas like Savar, where teachers from across the country seek transfers.

"To address this issue, we need to incorporate some reservation mechanisms within the digital system," Milon stated.

He explained that the government is reviewing the computer program to ensure a larger proportion of teachers are from their respective localities while allowing only a limited number from outside.

"We are examining how the allocation process can be modified to ensure that most of the teachers are from the respective locality, while maintaining a small portion from outside," he told the House.

This follows concerns raised by Salahuddin that preference should be given to local residents and registered voters of an area when vacancies arise.

Five Major Projects Driving Primary Education Development

In response to a starred question from S.M. Jahangir Hossain (Dhaka-18), the Minister highlighted five key projects currently being implemented under the Directorate of Primary Education to strengthen the sector:

PEDP4: The Fourth Primary Education Development Programme, running until June 2026. Infrastructure Development: The Demand-Based Government Primary School Development Project (1st Phase), concluding in 2026.

Aesthetic Enhancement: A specialized project for government primary schools in the Dhaka Metropolitan and Purbachal areas, running until June 2027.

Regional Support: The "Pre-primary and Primary Education Improvement Project" covering Cox’s Bazar, Bandarban, and Bhasanchar, active until June 2027.

School Feeding: A program targeting 150 upazilas, set to run from January 2025 to December 2027.

Additionally, the Minister announced the "Alternative Learning Opportunity for Out-of-School Children (ALO)" project, approved by ECNEC on January 25, 2026, which will be implemented across 64 districts starting this year.

Recruitment of 9,000 Religious Teachers Under Consideration

To strengthen moral and religious education, the Minister informed Md. Monirul Haque Chowdhury (Cumilla-6) that the government is considering the recruitment of approximately 9,000 religious teachers.

This initiative is part of a 180-day reform program initiated by the newly-elected administration.

"Under our ministry, a proposal is under consideration to recruit around 9,000 religious teachers," Milon said, though he noted complexities regarding the certification of Qawmi madrasa graduates, particularly in the subject of Qira'at.

"The ministry is working to resolve these certification issues so that qualified candidates can be recruited as Islamic studies teachers," he assured.

The Minister emphasized that these efforts would be inclusive of all faiths: "We are moving forward by giving importance to the religious sentiments of followers of all faiths."

He concluded by noting that while infrastructure has improved over the last 15 to 17 years, the current administration is prioritizing a return to the high standards of primary education seen in previous decades.