Prime Minister Tarique Rahman on Tuesday likened children to the strong pillars of a house, saying Bangladesh’s foundation will become stronger in the competitive world if every child is given the opportunity to develop their abilities properly.

“Children are the pillars of their families. When children are given the right environment and opportunities to grow and flourish, families also become stronger,” he said while addressing a programme marking Children’s Rights Day, 2026 and the 50th anniversary of Bangladesh Shishu Academy on the academy premises in the capital.

In the same way, Tarique Rahman said, “If we can ensure opportunities for every child across Bangladesh to develop their full potential, the foundation of our country will become much stronger, enabling Bangladesh to emerge as a strong country in the competitive world.”

He said the government wants to develop children in a way that strengthens their future, as the strength of today’s children will determine the strength of the nation’s future.

“We want to develop our children in a way that makes their future strong. A strong future for today’s children means a strong future for the nation. And a strong future for the nation means we will be able to build a strong and powerful Bangladesh,” the Prime Minister said.

He urged children to develop themselves not only through education but also through sports, Quran recitation, music and other cultural activities. “You have to become good human beings,” he said, urging children to properly develop the qualities and talents within them.

Tarique Rahman also called on children to be kind to all living beings and caring towards nature and the environment. “People should show kindness not only to other people but also to nature and all of its creations.”

He urged children to care for trees around their homes and schools and to be kind to birds and animals, describing them as national assets.

The Prime Minister said people should understand that their own survival depends on nature and that they must help protect it.

“If we are kind to nature, it will also be kind to us,” he said, urging people to live in harmony with the natural environment.

Tarique Rahman said environmental pollution ultimately harms children and future generations. “If I, as a child today, am harmed, that means millions of children in Bangladesh are harmed,” he said.

He said his government wants to build a humane Bangladesh and expressed hope that the younger generation will develop the compassion that, in his view, previous generations could not fully cultivate.

The Prime Minister also urged parents and guardians to instil in children a sense of responsibility towards nature and living beings.

“If we all try to develop this feeling and awareness among our children, I firmly believe that, InshaAllah, one day we will be able to build a humane Bangladesh,” he said.

Tarique Rahman also asked children to play a role in keeping their surroundings clean, urging them to politely remind adults not to throw waste indiscriminately and to use designated places for disposing of rubbish.

“If we can build a clean and beautiful environment today, your children will grow up in a healthy environment, both physically and mentally,” he said.

Govt to expand arts, culture, sports facilities in schools

The Prime Minister said the government is working to provide children across the country with opportunities to develop their talents in sports, arts, culture and music, particularly because many families cannot afford such facilities.

“We are trying to create these facilities at the school level — whether it is art, culture, sports or music — so that every child can choose according to their preference,” he said.

Tarique Rahman said the government has recently organised a football competition at the primary school level in which around 2.2 million children — 1.1 million boys and 1.1 million girls — participated.

“If we can continue this, I firmly believe that one day a Pele or internationally recognised players will emerge fromamong our children,” he said.

The Prime Minister also recalled the “Notun Kuri” programme introduced by Shaheed President Ziaur Rahman to nurture children’s cultural talents, saying the government has revived it while also launching similar initiatives in sports.

He said sports activities have also been initiated alongside cultural programmes, with events being organised at the national level.

“We want our children to have good exposure to art, culture and music, while also becoming capable in sports,” Tarique Rahman said, adding that every child has some quality or talent that needs to be given an opportunity to flourish.

He said the government is working to introduce facilities at schools so that children, including those in remote and rural areas, can choose activities according to their interests.

The Prime Minister said the government plans to provide opportunities from the primary and secondary levels for children to learn music, play musical instruments and participate in different sports.

“We want to develop children in this way to make their future stronger,” he said.

Tarique Rahman also announced plans to introduce opportunities for children to learn a third language alongside Bangla and English.

He said students will be able to choose from several languages, potentially including Arabic, Mandarin and German, to help them in higher education and employment abroad. “Learning a third foreign language will help them stand firmly in life and compete with people from other countries,” he said.

The Prime Minister, however, stressed that academic achievement, sports, cultural activities or learning several languages alone will not be enough. “Dear little friends, you have many responsibilities. You have to be humane,” he said.

PM recalls childhood visit to Shishu Academy

Tarique Rahman also shared his personal memories of visiting Bangladesh Shishu Academy as a child, saying he came to the academy with his parents, Shaheed President Ziaur Rahman and Begum Khaleda Zia, and his younger brother around the time the academy was inaugurated in 1976 or 1977.

 “I was also a child when I came to this Shishu Academy. I came here as a child guest,” he said.

The Prime Minister also recalled contributing stories and rhymes to the children’s magazine, Shishu, published by the academy.

Earlier, around 150 children welcomed Tarique Rahman and his wife Dr Zubaida Rahman when they arrived at Bangladesh Shishu Academy.

Women and Children Affairs Minister Prof Dr AZM Zahid Hossain chaired the programme, held under the theme “Let every child have a secure future.”

The Prime Minister enjoyed cultural performances by children and later interacted with the performers and took part in a photo session. He also answered questions from children.

Children from different parts of the country also interacted with the Prime Minister through videoconference.

Tarique Rahman later visited an exhibition of paintings by children and a photo gallery at the Children’s Museum building and inaugurated a solar panel system and a substation on its ground floor.

Earlier, children presented him with a commemorative gift, while he unveiled the special souvenir Shaishab.