BNP has pledged a radical transformation of the country’s education system through the formation of an “Education Reform Commission,” and the implementation of 43 specific development measures.
Within these pledges, the party has committed to ensuring free education for girls up to the postgraduate level, while boys will receive free education up to the undergraduate level or its equivalent.
To support these reforms, the BNP has plans to allocate five per cent of the national GDP to the education sector, keep private universities tax-free, and provide free school uniforms to students.
These announcements were made by BNP Chairman Tarique Rahman on Friday afternoon during an event held at Hotel Sonargaon in the capital. The manifesto places significant emphasis on linguistic diversity and vocational skills to enhance employment and higher education opportunities.
A third language – such as Arabic, Japanese, Korean, Italian, or Mandarin – will be introduced at the secondary level alongside Bengali and English. Additionally, technical education will be made mandatory at the secondary level to prepare students for self-employment and the international job market.
The syllabus will be designed to ensure that students who are unable to progress beyond the SSC or Intermediate levels possess the necessary skills to secure employment independently.
To improve the quality of education, the party plans to introduce a “Learning with Happiness” programme.
Starting from Class Six, this initiative will focus on teamwork, personal skill development, and social, moral, and family education to cultivate students as good citizens through an enjoyable learning process.
The manifesto also includes several pledges for the modernisation of Madrasa education, including the full implementation of Qawmi certificate recognition and the removal of barriers preventing Madrasa students from pursuing higher education.
The party further aims to provide formal honour and recognition to Hafiz-e-Quran.
Institutional reforms include empowering the University Grants Commission (UGC), improving the standards of the National University, increasing industry-academia collaboration, and placing a greater focus on research.
Further commitments involve ensuring health protection for female students, resolving issues faced by university students, and simplifying the process for teachers to receive retirement pensions.
The party also aims to utilise television for classroom instruction and unlock the hidden talents of students.
To assist with innovation and global education, the party promises to provide seed funding and innovation grants, introduce special loans for students seeking higher education abroad, and remove complexities regarding bank loans for educational purposes.
