Nearly 25,000 students took part in the written examination of a reading competition in Sreemangal, Moulvibazar, on Monday as part of the ongoing book reading festival. Organised by the upazila administration under the slogan “Read books, build minds,” the event was inaugurated on July 21 at Sreemangal Government Girls’ High School. It aims to draw students away from mobile phone and internet addiction, build reading habits, and develop knowledge and intellectual capacity.

The festival is being held with coordination from Sreemangal Recitation Festival and reading support from Uttaran. About 25,000 students from 38 secondary-level and higher educational institutions in the upazila are participating. Students from secondary, higher secondary, postgraduate and open university levels are competing in four categories. Alongside prescribed titles, participants can read stories, novels and other types of books.

Based on the written test results, 10 participants will be selected for the second stage, from whom the best three will advance to the final round. Fourteen books have been selected for students at different academic levels. Upazila Nirbahi Officer Ziaur Rahman has visited 15 educational institutions and held several meetings with journalists, civil society members and other stakeholders to support the festival.