Prime Minister Sheikh Haslna yesterday urged primary school teachers to put aside their petty differences and unite for launching an integrated thrust for freeing the country from the curse of illit eracy reports BSS.

Addressing the members of a 350-member delegation of Bangladesh Primary Teachers Association, the Prime Minister called upon the teachers to extend all kinds of cooperation and assistance to Implement the declared pledge of the government to remove Illiteracy from the country within ten years

The Prime Minister said that to attain this objective, the nation needs to launch a social movement and the primary school teachers would be the guiding force In this noble thrust.

Led by the Association president. Prof Abul Kaiam Azad, the delegation Included teachers' representatives from all district level organisations

The Prime Minister told the teachers that upholding the country’s constitution and running the country as per constitutional provisions was lhe fundamental principle of the present government

We shall always be guided by the fact that the people are the owners of the country while running the government the Prime Minister asserted

While felicitating Sheikh Hasina on her assumption of the office of the Prime Minis ter. on behalf of the associa tion Prof Abul Kaiam Azad said that the teachers community would lend all kinds of support to materialise the government policy of freeing the country from Illiteracy

We have come here not to place any demand nor for enhancement of our salary, but to express our noble intention to make the society free of illiteracy within five years." Azad said.

Recalling the contribution of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mu Jibur Rahman in forming the earthwhiie East Pakistan Prl mary Teachers Association (now Bangladesh Primary Teachers Association) in 1969. Azad said that It was Banga bandhu who gave 1.40.000 primary teachers the status of government servants by na tionaiising 36.800 primary schools after the liberation of the country.

Azad said that Bangabandhu. during his short span of ad ministration, set up 11.000 new primary schools. Besides, he nationalised one thousand primary schools each year dur ing his tenure

He said that the primary school teachers would do their best for imparting real teach Ings to the children who would shoulder the future leadership of the nation.