Stressing the need for expanding scouting movement in all educational institutions, President Abdul Hamid on Wednesday said scouting is a proper platform for building the country’s youngsters as good and worthy citizen. “I’m happy to know that the number of scouts is on the rise but it is yet to reach the expected level comparing to the country’s population . . . more than one scout team could be formed in each educational institution for increasing the number of scouts,” the President said while speaking at the inaugural ceremony of 43rd national council of Bangladesh Scouts. He urged all to increase the number of scouts to 15 lakh from existing 13 lakh and said the creative activities of scouting must have in all educational institutions for physical and mental development of country’s children-adolescents and youths.
Bangladesh Scouts president Abdul Karim presided over the opening ceremony while education minister Nurul Islam Nahid and Chief National Commissioner of Bangladesh Scouts Abul Kalam Azad addressed it.
Speaking at the council as the chief guest, the President said country’s youngsters must be engaged in building digital Bangladesh maintaining pace with the ongoing trend of global information technology.
Abdul Hamid said the government has extended all cooperation in strengthening scout movement in the country.
The government is constituting teams of cub scouts and scouts in the most of the public and private primary, secondary and equivalent schools across the country under “Cubing Expansion Project” of Primary and Mass Education Ministry and “Human Resources Development through Scouting Project” of the education ministry, he added.
He urged all to take sincere efforts to introduce these programmes in all educational institutions. It will help turn the country’s children and youths into a self-reliant and well-educated nation for building a “Golden Bengal” as dreamt by father of the nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, Abdul Hamid added.
The President highly appreciated the members of the scout for their role in facing the country’s natural disasters and said the activities of scouts during cyclone, flood, and also their caring help for cold-affected people during winer were praised by all.
Urging the members of the scout to build a social movement against drug addiction, he said the deadly drug addiction is derailing the country’s youths and creating social troubles. “I hope that scouts would play a constructive role in preventing drug addiction,” he said, adding, “I also expect that you (scouts) will play your due role in preventing adolescent marriage, and will engage yourselves in various social building activities.”
The President congratulated those who have received “Silver Tiger”, “Silver Hilsa”, President’s Rover Scout” and “President’s Scout Award”.
According to the Bangladesh Scouts, 12 scouts have received “Silver Tiger” award, 15 “Silver Hilsa”, three President’s Rover Scout Award and 54 received President’s Scout Award.
