bKash, Bishwo Shahitto Kendro celebrate 12 years of reading drive

bKash and Bishwo Shahitto Kendro have completed 12 years of partnership in promoting book reading among students across the country, with more than 400,000 books distributed to nearly 3,000 educational institutions.

The books have benefited more than 3.2 million students and readers, speakers said at an event held in the capital on September 4 to celebrate the partnership.

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Prof Abdullah Abu Sayeed, chairman and chief executive of Bishwo Shahitto Kendro, said childhood experiences often shape a person’s life and recalled how his father inspired him to spread books and develop the habit of reading.

“There were many struggles along this journey, but we also received help from many quarters -- personal, social, institutional, and government support. Among the non-state organisations that provided major assistance, one was bKash,” he said in a video message.

He said bKash had provided 400,000 books over the past 12 years, which were distributed among educational institutions across the country.

“If bKash had invested this money elsewhere, they might have made a profit. Whether bKash benefited financially from it or not, I don’t know, but the nation has certainly benefited from the partnership,” he added.

Education Minister ANM Ehsanul Hoque Milon attended the event as the chief guest. He highlighted the government’s commitment to improving the quality of education, with a focus on primary and technical education, and gradually increasing the education budget to 5 percent of the national budget.

“To pull the new generation away from mobile phones and drug addiction, we must foster the habit of reading books,” he said, thanking the two organisations for their corporate social responsibility efforts.

Kamal Quadir, founder and chief executive officer of bKash, said the partnership with Bishwo Shahitto Kendro began long before the company turned a profit.

“Education and the pursuit of knowledge are among the core foundations of sustainable development,” Kamal said.

“We have always prioritised initiatives that take the young generation beyond the boundaries of textbooks and into the world of knowledge, creativity, and open-minded thinking.”

More than 300 students and teachers, along with members of civil society, attended the event.

Bishwo Shahitto Kendro has been running its nationwide Book Reading Programme for more than four decades. It is one of the country’s largest and longest-running initiatives to develop reading habits, critical thinking and human values among students.