International Literacy Day will be observed in Bangladesh as elsewhere around the world today with the theme — Literacy and women’s empowerment.
The day is being observed with girls still accounting for more than a half of the 6.75 crore out-of-school children in the world and with females accounting for two-thirds of the 79.6 crore adults who are illiterate.
In Bangladesh, literacy rate has improved substantially in the past decades but still its 3.73 crore people aged between 11 years and 45 years are illiterate, according to the Non-Formal Education Mapping Report 2009.
Bangladesh, however, is observing the day with the theme — Literacy is power.
The president, Zillur Rahman, and the prime minister, Sheikh Hasina, have issued separate messages on the occasion.
Zillur will today inaugurate the state programme in the Osmani Memorial Hall auditorium in Dhaka.
Different organisations have also taken up elaborate programmes including include discussions, airing of special programmes on radio and television programmes and publication of posters and festoons.
The UN secretary general, Ban Ki-moon, in a message issued on the eve of the day urged governments, donors, non-governmental organisations and all development partners to make literacy accessible to women everywhere.
