Prime Minister Tarek Rahman on Wednesday called on every student in government primary schools across Bangladesh to plant at least one tree each year, underscoring the importance of nurturing environmental awareness from an early age to build a greener nation.

He made the remarks while inaugurating a nationwide tree plantation programme at government primary schools during the Primary Education Award-2026 ceremony, organised by the Ministry of Primary and Mass Education at the Bangladesh-China Friendship Conference Center in Agargaon, Dhaka.

The prime minister said encouraging children to participate in tree planting would help protect the environment and instill a lifelong sense of responsibility toward nature.

According to a ministry press release issued earlier, the programme is part of the government’s efforts to implement pledges 17 and 18 of its election manifesto, aimed at fostering children’s creativity and intellectual development.

The ministry also organised sports, cultural events, subject-based quizzes, Cub Scouting and debate competitions for students in grades three to five. The competitions began at the upazila level and progressed through successive stages to the national level.

Official data showed that 21.83 million students from schools across the country participated in the competitions. Winners selected through the various stages received the Primary Education Award-2026 at the ceremony.

The event also recognised outstanding contributions to the education sector. Awards were presented to the best individuals selected from 12,384 nominees across 15 categories, while top institutions were chosen from 65,546 institutions in two categories.