European Union will provide 205 million euros to Bangladesh for quality education and training for the next four years.

The EU yesterday launched the Human Capital Development Programme for Bangladesh 2021, aiming to promote the implementation of long-term sustainable education policies towards a lifelong learning approach, bringing together primary, technical, and vocational education.

A signing ceremony of a bilateral financing agreement between the European Union and Government of Bangladesh on HCDP-21 was held yesterday at Economic Relations Division (ERD) in Dhaka.

Ambassador Rensje Teerink, head of delegation of European Union to Bangladesh and Monowar Ahmed, secretary of ERD, signed the agreement.

The 205 million euros are to be divided into three parts -- 150 million for primary education, 50 million for Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) and 5 million for complementary technical assistance, said a EU press statement.

"The Government of Bangladesh acknowledges the longstanding support of the EU in a sector as crucial as education. We are looking forward to strengthening our solid partnership and making an important contribution to reaching sustainable development goals by 2030," said ERD Secretary Monowar Ahmed at the signing ceremony.

The EU programme is putting special emphasis on a few key targets: quality education through better trained teachers and revised curricula, including learning materials, increased enrollment of out-of-school children into the formal education system, and equal access.