Education investment will be treated as a national priority rather than government expenditure, State Minister for Education, Primary and Mass Education Bobby Hajjaj said on Thursday, announcing a phased plan to raise education spending to 5 per cent of GDP under the BNP-led government.
Speaking at a press conference in Dhaka two days after assuming office, Bobby Hajjaj said the government considers education the “main factory” for producing human resources and the core driver of nation-building.
“The BNP-led government will not consider education as just an expenditure sector. Education will be the prime investment of the state,” he said.
Under the leadership of Prime Minister Tarique Rahman, the government plans to gradually increase allocation for the education sector to 5 per cent of GDP, in line with its election manifesto commitments. Bobby Hajjaj added that the longer-term objective is to align with international benchmarks that recommend allocating 15–20 per cent of total government expenditure to education.
To achieve the fiscal target, the ministry will implement a three-year ‘Fiscal Uplift Plan’ in coordination with the Ministry of Finance, aiming to strengthen budget execution and development efficiency.
Addressing past underutilisation of development funds, the state minister described unspent allocations as a “loss of opportunity for students”. He said development projects will now follow milestone-based implementation and transparency measures. Mandatory use of Electronic Government Procurement (E-GP) and pre-procurement planning will be enforced from June.
Outlining a 12-point reform agenda, Bobby Hajjaj announced structural changes across primary, secondary and higher education. Technical education will be introduced from the secondary level, alongside a bridge course integrating technical and general streams to prevent students from reaching academic dead ends.
Responding to global labour market demands, the government has decided to introduce mandatory third-language education in addition to Bangla and English. The state minister said curriculum and examination reforms will also be implemented, including the introduction of an item bank and blueprint-based examination system designed to promote analytical thinking instead of rote memorisation.
To strengthen research capacity, the government will launch a Higher Education and Research Innovation Grant, positioning universities not only as teaching institutions but also as knowledge-driven centres.
Plans are also underway to introduce loan facilities for meritorious students and provide targeted support for higher education abroad.
In a move to enhance governance transparency, Bobby Hajjaj announced the launch of a public dashboard on the ministry’s website. The digital platform will allow citizens to monitor project implementation progress, textbook distribution and class hour delivery in real time.
“We will not do politics with education. We will build a nation through education. Prime Minister Tarique Rahman’s goal is not certificates, but capacity building. The Ministry of Education will work to achieve that capacity,” he said.
Education Minister ANM Ehsanul Hoque Milon also addressed the press conference. Secondary and Higher Education Division Secretary Rehana Perven, Technical and Madrasa Education Division Secretary Muhammad Rafiqul Islam, and Primary and Mass Education Secretary Abu Taher Md Masud Rana were present.
The policy announcements signal a significant shift in Bangladesh’s fiscal and structural education framework, positioning education investment as a central pillar of economic development and human capital formation.
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