Prime Minister Tarique Rahman on Wednesday instructed the Ministry of Cultural Affairs to take initiatives to develop a reading habit among the younger generations and promote the country’s rich cultural heritage among the youths.

“We need to consider whether books can be brought to children through mobile libraries. At the same time, emphasis should be placed on developing reading habits through arranging reading circles, book-reading competitions and other such initiatives,” he said.

The Prime Minister made the remarks at a meeting with officials during his visit to the Ministry of Cultural Affairs at the Secretariat as part of his regular activities, said PM’s Deputy Press Secretary Shahadat Shadhin.

At the meeting, the ministry presented its programmes and plans centring on the Lalon Festival and Nazrul Year. The Prime Minister was also briefed on ongoing and proposed programmes for the winter cultural festival scheduled to be held from December to May.

The proposed festival will feature circus, folk culture, boat races, kite festivals, horse racing, puppet shows, diverse cultural events and programmes involving persons with disabilities, the meeting was told.

Representatives of the July Museum, the Department of Archaeology, Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy, Bangladesh National Museum, Bangla Academy, the National Book Centre and other departments and agencies under the ministry also presented their ongoing activities and future plans.

The Prime Minister called for taking necessary initiatives to make the Shilpakala academies more active.

“Our culture is thousands of years old. But perhaps we are not being able to present it properly to our younger generations. With the blessings of technology, we are becoming attracted to foreign cultures and getting acquainted with new things,” he said.

“But that does not mean we should forget our own culture. We need to think about how to present our culture and heritage more extensively to the younger generation,” he added.

Addressing the officials, Tarique Rahman said everyone present had some form of capability and urged them to work to the best of their abilities.

“If we all give our best, we can collectively make at least some progress towards building the country we aspire to. We have an opportunity to contribute to the country, and we should make the most of it,” he said.

Cultural Affairs Minister Nitai Roy Chowdhury, State Minister Ali Newaz Mahmood Khyom, Prime Minister’s Adviser on Information and Cultural Affairs Dr Zahed Ur Rahman, Additional Press Secretary Atikur Rahman Ruman and relevant officials were present at the meeting.