The 'School Feeding' program launched to meet the nutritional needs of government primary school students has faced various limitations and irregularities. Although the supply of food has been delayed in many areas due to tender bottlenecks and legal complications, the government is planning to expand this program across the country from June-July.
Currently, students in government primary schools in 150 upazilas of the country are receiving nutritious food including eggs, milk, biscuits, ban roti and fruits. However, there have been complaints of rotten or raw eggs, expired bread and poor-quality food being provided in various areas. The government has taken the initiative to increase surveillance and strengthen the involvement of local administration to deal with the situation.
Outrage at field level over quality of food
A teacher at a government primary school in the northern part of the country has raised serious complaints about the quality of food at the field level. On condition of anonymity, he said that although ban roti, eggs and bananas are provided to keep students in school regularly, in reality various mismanagement is being seen.
He shared a strange experience, saying, 'One day, the production date of the banroti packet that came to my school was written as January 27, 2026, but that day was January 25. We were shocked to see how the future date was written two days in advance. I have also taken a picture of that packet as proof.'
Not only in the northern region, but teachers and guardians from different parts of the country also have the same complaint - poor quality or spoiled food is being provided. They claim that food is delivered late in remote areas, and the quantity is also less. As a result, students in many schools are losing interest in taking food.
Several head teachers, who did not want to be named, said that they often find themselves in embarrassing situations due to irregularities in the quality and supply of food. One head teacher said, 'Although the quality is fine in some places, sometimes raw eggs or overripe fruits are given. Although the initiative is excellent, its real purpose will not be successful if there is no strict monitoring of the supply system.'
Meal list and project goals
According to the Department of Primary Education, under the current project, there is a plan to provide nutritious food to about 31 lakh 13 thousand students of 19,419 government primary schools in 150 selected upazilas of the country by 2027.
On all five working days of the week, students are given fortified biscuits, bananas or seasonal fruits, ban roti, eggs and UHT milk. According to the prescribed menu, boiled eggs with ban roti are given every Sunday, ban roti and 200 grams of UHT milk on Monday, 75 grams of fortified biscuits and fruits on Tuesday and boiled eggs with ban roti on Wednesday and Thursday.
This special menu has been prepared in such a way that it is possible to ensure that 25.9 percent of the total energy, 32.2 percent of micronutrients, 16.4 percent of protein and 21.7 percent of fat are met by a student.
Tender and legal complications
According to relevant sources, the food supply program of the school feeding program has been divided into three separate parts and tenders have been invited - UHT milk, fortified biscuits and 'food basket' (ban roti, eggs and fruits).
Although the entire country has been divided into 20 zones for the supply of food baskets, qualified suppliers were found in only eight lots in the first phase. Suppliers were confirmed by inviting tenders again for the remaining 12 lots. The same situation arose in the case of milk supply. Although suppliers were found in four of the eight categories in the first phase, e-tenders had to be held again for the remaining four.
On the other hand, legal complications have arisen regarding the supply of fortified biscuits. As a case has been filed in the court regarding seven categories, the matter is currently under hearing by the government procurement authority 'Public Procurement Authority'. Those concerned hope that if this legal crisis is resolved quickly, it will be possible to supply all food regularly.
Authority's statement and zero tolerance policy
Regarding the issue, Abu Nur Mohammad Shamsuzzaman, Director General of the Directorate of Primary Education, told Daily Industry, "We want students to receive all the prescribed meals on time every day. Complaints about the quality of food are being viewed with great importance."
He clarified that strict instructions have been given to the headmaster and concerned not to accept expired milk, underweight bread or rotten fruits in any way. The government is following a 'zero tolerance' policy in the matter of children's food and strict action will be taken against any irregularities.
To further improve the supply system, plans are underway to procure eggs and fruits locally in the future. The Director General said, "It is difficult to control the activities of the entire country from Dhaka. Therefore, the involvement of the local administration is being increased. "Upazila Executive Officers (UNOs) will be made more active in their supervision and, if necessary, will be required to conduct surprise inspections."
On the other hand, according to sources in the Ministry of Primary and Mass Education, a new Development Project Proposal (DPP) is being finalized to expand this currently limited program across the country in stages. According to the plan, the expanded program may start from June-July this year. In addition to providing food, the monitoring system will also be strengthened in the new phase. It may take six months to a year to include all upazilas. On the overall issue, State Minister for Primary and Mass Education Bobby Hajjaj told Daily Industry, "School Feeding is not just a food program, it is a big initiative to ensure the nutrition of children and encourage them to come to school. We want every student in the country to benefit from it. All upazilas will be brought under this program in phases from June-July."
