The Bangladesh government is set to introduce a new school feeding programme, providing nutritious meals five days a week to 31 million primary school students in poverty-stricken areas.
Under this initiative, students will receive a variety of foods, including milk, eggs, seasonal fruits, bananas, fortified biscuits, cakes, and buns, according to a high-ranking Planning Commission official.
Named the ‘Government Primary School Feeding Programme,’ the project will be implemented by the Directorate of Primary Education across 18,000–19,000 government primary schools in poverty stricken 150 upazials across the country. The estimated budget is Tk 5,452 crore.
The Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) is scheduled to review and approve the project in its March 23 meeting, according to the Planning Commission.
To support its implementation, 19,719 headteachers will undergo training in 192 batches to raise awareness about the program.
Pre-packaged meals will be provided to ensure nutritional value, cost-effectiveness, and proper management. The planned menu includes milk days – pasteurized milk with buns, egg days – eggs with bananas and fortified biscuits, and seasonal fruit days – locally available fruits paired with other nutritious foods.
For instance, during the tamarind season in Barisal, tamarind will be served with milk, while in Rajshahi, students will receive mangoes with milk.
This initiative will cover 19,419 government primary schools and aims to improve student nutrition while supporting school attendance.