Staff Reporter, Dhaka : Bishwo Shahitto Kendro, with the support of bKash, the country’s largest mobile financial services (MFS) provider, has expanded this year’s ‘Nationwide Enrichment (Book Reading) Program’ by distributing books to eight schools in Sirajganj and Tangail districts.

Haimabala Girl’s High School, Jnanadayni High School, Victoria High School, Gouri Urban Girls High School and Sirajganj Collectorate School & College from Sirajganj district, and Madhupur Pilot Girl’s High School, Madhupur Shahid Smrity Higher Secondary School and Madhupur Rani Bhabani Model High School from Tangail were among the book recipient schools.

Mir Mohammad Mahbubur Rahman, Deputy Commissioner (DC) of Sirajganj and Shamima Yasmin, Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) of Tangail’s Madhupur Upazila were present as chief guests at separate book distribution ceremonies organized respectively in Sirajganj and Tangail. Besides, Eliza Sultana, Sirajganj Sadar Upazila Secondary Education Officer and Md Abdur Rashid, Tangail’s Madhupur Upazila Secondary Education Officer were present at the events held in their respective districts. Meanwhile, Humayun Kabir, EVP and Head of Regulatory and Corporate Affairs Department of bKash attended both the programs as the special guest while Shamim Al Mamun, director of Bishwo Shahitto Kendro chaired the events.

In both programs, the students and representatives of school administrations received the books from the invited guests. Besides, quiz competitions were arranged in the two districts where about 700 students have participated in. Of them, 60 winners received valuable books as present.

bKash has been supporting the ‘Nationwide Enrichment (Book Reading) Program’ of Bishwo Shahitto Kendro since 2014 as part of its corporate social responsibility. Under the initiative, this year total of 33,600 books are to be distributed among the students of different schools across the country. So far, nearly 300,000 books had been distributed among four thousand schools that have benefitted at least 3 million readers.

Bishwo Shahitto Kendro has been conducting book reading programs across the country with a greater vision of cultivating book reading habit beyond textbooks among the students so that they can become enlightened. To make this endeavour more impactful, bKash has been associated with this initiative for nine years.