Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI) President Annisul Huq speaks at a seminar on the role of private sectors in literacy movement at the National Press Club in the city yesterday.Photo: STAR

Speakers at a seminar yesterday underscored the need for raising a social movement to eradicate illiteracy from the country.
They strongly criticised the lackadaisical role of the government in the sector since the independence of the country.
The speakers blamed illiteracy for backwardness in the rural areas, saying that poverty and illiteracy go hand in hand.
Styled 'Contributions of non-governmental sectors to illiteracy eradication movement,' the seminar was organised by Shakkhar, Education and Research Foundation (SERF) at National Press Club in the city with its President KM Mueenuddin Chisty in the chair.
Speakers said though education sector receives the highest allocation in the national budget, a great portion of the amount is being misappropriated in the name of different projects undertaken by education ministry.
If the allocation is properly spent, salary structures of teachers, including community primary teachers and teachers of non-government schools, colleges and madrasas, could be changed wooing highly educated meritorious students to come in this sector as teachers to generate meritorious students for the future of the nation.
Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI) President Annisul Huq and Bangladesh Knitwear Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BKMEA) President Md Fazlul Huq were present on the occasion as the chief guest and as the special guest respectively.
Speakers further said continuous efforts involving educated citizens is a must to make a huge number of illiterate people literate in the country.
They also underlined the importance of setting up literacy camps in each union across the country.
Non-government organisations, including FBCCI, press clubs and cultural organisations, should come foreword with initiatives at district and upazila levels to remove illiteracy, they added.
They also stressed on spontaneous voluntary service with involvement of teachers of non-government schools, colleges, madrasas and jobless educated youths to reach the goal.
Speakers said the nation cannot be self-reliant leaving a huge number of people illiterate.
Most of the farmers of the country cannot read out the labels on seeds, insecticides, fertiliser and packs of agro-products, causing improper application of these which very often result in production fall in agriculture, they added.
Criticising the government's insincerity, they further said most times government officials before attending any international programmes show high literacy rate in the strategy paper to ensure foreign aid.
The speakers said as per the government statistics, present literacy rate is 66 percent in the country while non-government organisations (NGOs) projected 44 percent.
The right of education is no longer a privilege for the chosen few, United Nation (UN) has declared education as fundamental right for all, they added.