Dhaka ADC Farzana Rahman named best UNO

Farzana Rahman, former upazila nirbahi officer (UNO) of Sonargaon and currently additional deputy commissioner of Dhaka district, has been named Bangladesh’s best UNO.

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman presented the honour to her at the National Primary Education Medal-2026 award giving ceremony held at the Bangladesh-China Friendship Conference Centre on Wednesday.

According to officials, she received the honour in recognition of her outstanding initiatives during her tenure as UNO of Sonargaon to improve the quality of primary education, ensure 100% student attendance, expand technology-based learning, strengthen healthcare services, promote co-curricular activities, and upgrade school infrastructure.

After assuming office in Sonargaon, Farzana Rahman brought primary education under an integrated development framework. 

Under her leadership, a midday meal programme was introduced in all 113 government primary schools in the upazila to improve student attendance.

She also launched websites for 15 schools as part of efforts to digitise school management. To enhance students' digital skills, 45 students received basic computer training, while laptops were distributed to the respective schools to facilitate post-training practice.

To foster critical thinking, leadership and self-confidence among students, inter-primary school debate competitions were introduced. A Special Health Service Card was also launched for every Class I student, enabling them to receive priority treatment at the upazila health complex as well as special facilities at several private hospitals and clinics.

Awareness programmes were organised at schools to educate students on child marriage prevention, anti-drug campaigns, land services and social values. Students were also encouraged to participate in quizzes, seminars and various co-curricular activities to promote participatory learning.

To ensure that no child's education was disrupted due to financial hardship, an initiative was taken to provide school uniforms to all students. Uniforms, shoes, school bags, notebooks and pens were distributed to those in need.

Other initiatives included supplying dustbins to schools, maintaining clean classrooms, creating flower gardens, planting fruit trees and developing a more child-friendly learning environment.

In addition, "Guardian Shade" facilities were built for parents at schools, while regular cluster-based school inspections were conducted to identify and immediately resolve problems. Under her leadership, various infrastructure development projects, including field filling, boundary wall construction, guide walls and palisading, were also implemented.

To encourage sports, schools were provided with sports equipment, while jerseys were distributed for football tournaments.