The comprehensive early childhood development policy and early learning and development standards (ELDS) will be incorporated in the National Child Policy which is under review now, says a press release.

Dr Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury, state minister for the ministry of women and children affairs, told the closing session of the three-day South Asia Regional ECD conference at Bangabandhu International Conference Centre in the city on Thursday.

Some 300 specialists on early childhood development (ECD) and practitioners attended the conference participated by about 100 people from South Asia. The conference aimed at building relationship, sharing ideas and research findings on ECD among professionals, researchers, academics, and officials.

Other speakers at the session were Prof Lutfullah Safi, advisor of the ministry of education, Afghanistan; Theo Oltheten, chair of Education Local Consultative Group; Carel de Rooy, country representative of Unicef Bangladesh; Derek Elais, officer-in-charge of Unesco Bangladesh; Kelland Stevenson, country representative of Save the Children USA, Bangladesh; Anwar Hossain Shikder, acting country director of Plan Bangladesh; Louise Zimanyi, director of Global Consultative Group on Early Childhood Care and Development, Ryerson University, Toronto, Canada; andAKM Abdul Awal Mazumder, secretary to the ministry of primary and mass education, Bangladesh.

Mahmuda Akhter, the member secretary of Bangladesh ECD Network (BEN) thanked all the delegates from different countries, professionals, and participants of the conference.