Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday called upon all concerned, including public representatives, teachers, students, student organisations, other organisation, public and private officials, to take initiatives so that Bangladesh could be declared an illiteracy-free country soon.

"It's my fervent call to you all... if every one ofyou takes a united initiative that no one will remain illiterate in your respective areas and make them literate, then we'll be able to declare Bangladesh an illiteracy-free country,” she said.

The prime minister was addressing the opening ceremony of a function at Osmani Memorial Auditorium in Dhaka, marking International Literacy Day 2016 with Primary and Mass Education Minister Mostafizur Rahman Fizarin the chair.

A message of Unesco Director General Irina Bokova was read out at the programme.

This year, the global theme of the day is "Education for the 21st Century”. Apart from the global theme, the day in Bangladesh is being celebrated with its own theme, "Reading the Past, Writing the Future".

The premier urged the teachers to build each and every child as an ideal citizen through instilling ethics and values into their minds and hearts.

She renewed her call for the people of all classes, including the well-off section, to arrange midday meals in those schools which remained out of the midday meal initiatives to check the dropout rates.