Farzana Rahman — the former Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) of Sonargaon upazila, now an additional district commissioner (general) in Dhaka — has been named the country’s best UNO at the National Primary Education Medal 2026. Prime Minister Tarique Rahman handed her the honorary medal on Wednesday (15 July) in recognition of her special contribution to primary education.
It has been learned that she earned the honour for a range of exceptional initiatives, during her tenure in Sonargaon upazila of Narayanganj, to improve the quality of primary education, ensure full attendance of students, expand technology-based education, strengthen health services and co-curricular activities, and develop school infrastructure.
From the time she took charge in Sonargaon, Farzana Rahman brought primary education under an integrated development framework. Under her leadership, a “mid-day meal” programme was launched in the upazila’s 113 government primary schools to prevent dropouts and boost attendance. To modernise school management, websites were launched for 15 schools, and 45 students were given basic computer training to build their information-technology skills.
She also distributed laptops to the schools concerned to make practice easier after the training. To develop students’ reasoning, leadership and confidence, she launched an inter-primary-school debate competition in the upazila. A “special health-service card” was also introduced for every class-one student, ensuring priority medical care at the upazila health complex and special facilities at various private hospitals and clinics.
In addition, she began school-based awareness activities to prevent child marriage, raise anti-drug awareness, provide land services and build social values.
To remove financial disparity among students, Farzana Rahman took steps to ensure 100 percent school uniforms, with uniforms, shoes, bags, notebooks and pens distributed to needy students as required. To keep schools clean, dustbins were supplied, flower gardens created and fruit trees planted, building a pleasant, education-friendly environment.
Under her leadership, a “guardians’ shade” was also built at schools for parents to sit in, along with regular cluster-based school inspections and on-the-spot problem-solving, field filling, boundary walls, guide walls and other infrastructure work. Sports goods and jerseys for football tournaments were also distributed on her initiative to encourage students’ sports.
বাংলায় মূল প্রতিবেদন পড়ুন · Read the original Bengali report