A total of 1,418 students from 35 schools in Rajshahi city received prizes yesterday for their laudable performance in book reading. Bishwa Sahitya Kendra (BSK) provided the students with the prizes at a ceremony held on Rajshahi Education Board Government Model School and College premises.

Over 4,000 students took part in the year-round book reading programme for flourishing their latent talents. BSK under its Reading Habit Programme organised the programme in association with Secondary Education Quality and Access Enhancement Project (SEQAEP) and Grameenphone to give away prizes among the students who show their good performance in the evaluation phase.

Eminent litterateur Hasan Azizul Haque attended the award-giving ceremony as the chief guest. Cultural personality Khairul Alam Sabuj, television presenter Dr Abdun

Nur Tusser, Regional Director of Department of Secondary and Higher Education Prof Dr Abdul Mannan, Everest Conqueror Abdul Muhit and Principal of Rajshahi Education Board Government Model and School Prof Taifur Rahman, among others, joined the event.