Dhaka, June 6, 2026:
The Government of Bangladesh has announced plans to begin a pilot program for distributing free uniforms and shoes to primary school students by August this year, aiming to improve access to essential school materials for millions of children.
The initiative was disclosed by the State Minister for Primary and Mass Education, Bobi Hajjaj, during a meeting held at the ministry’s conference room in the Bangladesh Secretariat.
According to the minister, the government is planning a phased rollout of uniforms and footwear for approximately 10.7 million government primary school students across the country. As part of the initial phase, a 180-day pilot project has been introduced to evaluate the effectiveness, quality, and distribution process of the program.
The meeting brought together representatives from leading footwear companies and stakeholders from the garment industry, who discussed collaboration opportunities for the large-scale initiative. Officials noted that major apparel industry associations have already responded positively, with more than 400,000 uniforms expected to be secured for the pilot phase through industry support.
The minister also highlighted discussions on providing white Velcro sneakers for first-grade students, considering their age and comfort needs. Issues such as sizing variations, gender-specific requirements, and production capacity were also reviewed during the meeting.
He urged participating companies to submit detailed proposals outlining potential contributions, production costs, and delivery timelines to the ministry. The government, he added, aims to build a long-term partnership between the state and the industry to sustain nationwide distribution in the future.
The minister further stated that the government intends to present visible progress on the pilot program by August this year, before the completion of the administration’s first six months in office.
Senior officials from the Ministry of Primary and Mass Education and top executives from footwear companies were present at the meeting.
