The Hon'lffe Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia had included two brilliant students of Dhaka Secondary Education Board Into her grand entourage to New York when she left Dhaka on 29th September last year to address the 48th session pf the United Nations General Assembly.

The students were one boy and one girl who had secured 925 and 907 marks respectively in the SSC examination held that year.

Two more students who had secured highest marks in the HSC examination the same year were included in her entourage to Cyprus wjien the ■prime minister left Dhaka to lead the Bangladeshi delegation to the biennial conference of Commonwealth Heads of Government which was held from 21st to 25th October. '93.

The prime minister had justified her decision on the pretext that surti bonanza will enthuse all the students with new spirit and they will devote themselves wholeheartedly to education. She had,, also declared that this process will continue for ever, as a standing order.

The prime minister recently went to Malaysia on three days' official visit, but she did not include any student. who secured highest marks in the SSC examination of this year, Into her entourage.

However, it is not at the back of my mind to plead for the inclusion of Junior students who passed with merit the SSC and the HSC examinations. Rather. In my opinion, the decision of the prime minister appears, to an extent, sentimental Instead of rational. Such tours are not likely to fetch any significant benefit for the nation On the contrary, there may be the point, after all It Is at the cost of public money The students who were Included in her last two en

tourage of New York and Cyprus perhaps did not derive any benefits in real sense except looking at the boulevards and buildings with their eyes and mouths wide open.

Moreover, all the students who secured 'top ten' positions in the merit list of SSC and HSC examination results of all the four boards during the last decade have been found to be-children of rich families. Some of such students took help from more than half a dozen private tutors, while some of them even had one highly paid coach for each subject On the other hand, majority of students do not find themselves in a position to purchase all the required books, but pass the examinations in first division out. however, of the "top ten' list.

ft seems education has turned to be exclusively richmen's privilege. But don't those students who secure simple first division marks without minimum facilities for suitable coaching and study at home deserve more appreciation, encouragement, honour and help from the government?

Besides, a man should know his own country first before proceeding on tours to foreign countries simply for pleasure. Bangladesh Is a small country and one can reach the capital within 12 hours from farthest corners by train or bus. and vice versa. •

It would be better if those students securing positions in the list of top ten in order to merit are provided all the expenditure for further education up to degree level and a . site-seeing-curti-study tour of all the district headquarters of the country, maybe ending with a two-day stay at Hotel Sonar gaon — instead of the said foreign tours. This may yield more benefit to the young students — at much less expense from the exchequer.