Education Minister Nurul Islam Nahid underscored the need for sustainable and optimum use of marine resources to boost up the blue economy to achieve sustainable development goals (SDGs).
“Sustainable use of maritime resources will play an important role to our economy,” he said this on Saturday while speaking at the inaugural session of a seminar on “Legal Regime at Sea and Governance of Maritime Resources for Sustainable Blue Economy” at International Mother Language Institute auditorium at Segunbagicha here.
Faculty of Maritime Governance and Policy of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Maritime University (BSMRMU) and Blue Economy Cell of Energy and Mineral Resources Division jointly organised the seminar.
National Maritime Foundation, India Admiral RK Dhowan joined the inaugural session as the special guest with BSMRMU Vice-Chancellor Rear Admiral A S M Abdul Baten in the chair.
Nahid said the government has been providing financial assistance in the maritime research and introducing oceanography department at different universities to create new knowledge and skilled manpower in this sector.
“The incumbent government has set up the maritime university for the first time in the country to create qualified and knowledgeable human resources for the nation in the field of marine,” he added.
Highlighting different development initiatives, Nahid said the government has been working relentlessly to ensure 100 percent enrolment at primary school level.
“Now as many as 99 percent children are admitted to the schools. Enrolment of girl children has also increased a lot … 51 percent girls are reading at primary level, 53 percent at secondary level and 45 percent at university level,” he added.
The minister said the government wants to provide world standard education to our students so that they can cope up the competitive world.
“Modern knowledge and technology are prerequisite now to build a prosperous nation so that our new generation should be groomed with world-standard knowledge and skills,” he said.
Nahid also warned the guardians to be conscious about the children as the easy access to information technology could not derail them to darkness.
