The New Nation - Internet Edition

A 10-member delegation of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of the Danish Parliament, led by the Committee Chairman Peder Larsen, visited UCEP education programmes at Mirpur Dhaka on February 11 last.

The other members of the delegation were the Vice-Chairman and four other members of the PAC, Auditor General of Denmark, Head of Bilateral Affairs- Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark and Top officials of PAC. H. E. Excellency Einar H. Jensen, Ambassador of Denmark to Bangladesh, Members of UCEP Board of Governors and senior officials of Danish Embassy in Dhaka were present on the occasion.

Speaking on the occasion Member of the Danish Parliament and also the member of PAC Helge Adam Moller mentioned that children and their education are of top priority irrespective of economic condition and geographic location to build a world full of peace and prosperity. The Danish government and people are equally concerned about the children of the third world countries and the children of Denmark and support to UCEP is a testimony of their feeling for the underprivileged children of Bangladesh, he added. He also praised the role of UCEP in paving the future of thousands of underprivileged working children.

In his address of welcome Chairperson of UCEP Board of Governors A.G.M. Shamsul Kamal mentioned that UCEP education program is recognised as a model for bringing about dynamic changes in the lives of the underprivileged children and their family members.

He also mentioned that a total of 30,000 working children are continuing their education and training at UCEP which is only a mere 0.61 per cent of the 5 million children not going to school due to extreme poverty. He thanked DANIDA for their continuing support to UCEP as the founder member of UCEP Donor Consortium and hoped that the Danish support for UCEP will be further strengthened in the days ahead.

The Executive Director of UCEP-Bangladesh Brig. Gen. Aftab Uddin Ahmad (Retd.) made a presentation on the activities and future challenges of UCEP, following which the delegation members were taken around the UCEP Mirpur Technical School.