President Zillur Rahman yesterday called for building illiteracy-free Bangladesh by 2014 through concerted efforts and implementation of pragmatic programmes.

The president made the remark while inaugurating at function marking the International Literacy Day-2010 at Osmani Memorial Auditorium in the city.

Addressing the function, Zillur Rahman said the present government is firmly committed to ensuring education for all and it has been working with a target of building an illiteracy-free Bangladesh by 2014 with the cooperation of all.

“That's why putting emphasis on the education sector, the maximum allocation has been given to it in the national budget,” he said.

The president said the government has been implementing various programmes that include providing education to the working children, hundred percent admissions to all school going children and building schools in

all villages under the basic education activities.

He said “It's my firm belief that it will be possible to build an illiteracy- free Bangladesh within the stipulated period through concerted efforts and implementation of pragmatic programmes.”

The president expressed the hope that the country would be free from the curse of illiteracy within the targeted period with the help of aft.

Describing poverty as the main obstacle to fulfilling the basic demands and implementing the development programmes, he said elimination of poverty would have to be given the topmost priority for resolving the socioeconomic problems in the country.

President Zillur urged the conscious citizens and also the government and non-government institutions to play positive role in resolving the national problems to take the nation forward.

State Minister for Primary and Mass Education M Motahar Hossain and Primary and Mass Education Secretary Abu Alam Shahid Khan also spoke on the occasion.