Dhaka, July 14 -- Education Minister Dr ANM Ehsanul Hoque Milon on Tuesday said the government is expanding mother tongue-based education for ethnic communities through the preservation of indigenous languages, development of textbooks and teacher training programmes.

Responding to a notice on calling attention to a matter of urgent public importance raised by BNP reserved seat MP Anna Minj in Parliament, he said protecting the languages of ethnic communities is both a constitutional responsibility and a national commitment.

Recalling past initiatives, the minister said former President Ziaur Rahman had taken a number of measures to improve education standards among ethnic communities and had also arranged for television programmes in t...