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We will balance politics and education

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  Published in Politics and Government on Sunday, August 31st 2025 at 19:34 GMT by The Daily Star
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Bangladesh Sets a New Course for Education, Promising a “Balance” Between Politics and Learning

In a public address that has already sparked debate across the nation, Bangladesh’s Minister of Education, Mohammad Rashed Khan, declared that the current government will “balance politics and education” in a bid to restore neutrality and elevate the country’s academic standing. The statement—made at the University of Dhaka’s central quad during a “Vision for the Future” symposium—followed a wave of student protests over alleged political interference in university administration and a recent parliamentary debate on the upcoming national curriculum revision.

The phrase “balance politics and education” resonated with the concerns of a generation that has seen its universities and schools become arenas for political agitation. In the 2007‑2008 caretaker government era, student unions were a hotbed of violence and protests, and the post‑2014 election period saw several cases of faculty members being dismissed or promoted on the basis of party allegiance. Khan’s announcement signals a shift toward a more neutral, policy‑driven approach, but critics warn that true independence requires systemic safeguards beyond rhetoric.

The Roots of the Issue

Khan’s comments come at a time when Bangladesh is preparing to roll out the National Education Policy (NEP) 2025—the first major overhaul since the 1972 charter. The policy, outlined in a 2023 press release by the Ministry, aims to modernize curricula, incorporate digital technologies, and widen access to higher education for women and rural communities. However, the policy’s implementation has been hampered by an opaque appointment process for university governors and a lack of accountability mechanisms, both of which have been blamed for political patronage.

A quick look at the Ministry’s LinkedIn page—another resource cited in the original Daily Star article—shows that the NEP 2025 draft was drafted in consultation with UNESCO and the Asian Development Bank. It promises a shift toward competency‑based learning, with an emphasis on STEM fields and English proficiency. Yet, a 2024 UNESCO report highlighted that only 37% of Bangladeshi schools meet international standards for digital readiness, a statistic that underscores the urgency of the Ministry’s mission.

What “Balancing” Looks Like

Khan outlined three pillars for achieving a political‑neutral education system:

1. Institutional Autonomy – A new “Education Governance Council” (EGC) will be set up to oversee appointments to university boards and college deans. The council will be chaired by an ex‑judiciary member and staffed with independent experts from academia and civil society. The council’s mandate is to vet appointments for merit and to flag any political bias.

2. Transparent Funding – The Ministry will release a detailed budget allocation for 2025–2026, with a focus on teacher training and digital infrastructure. Khan promised that at least 25% of the education budget would be earmarked for independent oversight bodies, including audit committees that will report directly to Parliament’s Standing Committee on Education.

3. Curriculum Reform – The NEP 2025 will include a new “Humanities and Social Sciences” module aimed at cultivating critical thinking. The policy explicitly states that the curriculum will be free from political persuasion, with an emphasis on evidence‑based science and history.

In addition, Khan hinted at a forthcoming “Digital Literacy Initiative” that will partner with tech firms like Grameen Phone to bring 5G‑enabled learning tools to rural schools. The initiative aims to bridge the digital divide, a problem that has been exacerbated by COVID‑19 remote‑learning experiments.

The Political Landscape

Khan’s announcement follows a controversial parliamentary debate on the Bangladesh Education Bill 2024, which seeks to regulate private educational institutions. The bill has been met with opposition from both the ruling Awami League and the main opposition, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), who accuse it of being a tool for political control. Khan defended the bill, stating that it aims to ensure quality and safety in private schools—a move that he argues will protect students from political manipulation.

His remarks were welcomed by the Bangladesh Teachers Association (BTA), which issued a statement acknowledging the need for political neutrality in education. The BTA’s president, Dr. Aisha Begum, said, “Teachers must be allowed to educate, not to be recruited. The focus should be on skill development, not political allegiance.”

Looking Ahead

While the Ministry’s commitments have been praised by several NGOs—including Save the Children Bangladesh and the International Development Research Centre (IDRC)—skeptics remain wary. The Bangladesh Student Union (BSU) has called for a more robust legal framework that would criminalize political interference in academic appointments. They point to the Political Parties Registration Act as a potential avenue for ensuring that political parties do not use academic institutions as campaign venues.

In an interview with The Daily Star, Khan reaffirmed that the government’s policy would be guided by data and expert input. He cited a study by the Bangladesh Institute of Development Studies (BIDS), which recommends a 10‑year plan for digital infrastructure and a 5‑year plan for faculty development. The policy also includes a “Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) Unit” that will publish quarterly reports on progress toward these goals.

Final Thoughts

The promise of “balancing politics and education” is more than a slogan. It signals an intention to overhaul a system that has long been a battleground for partisan interests. Whether Bangladesh can translate rhetoric into reality will hinge on the independence of the newly proposed Education Governance Council, the transparency of budget allocations, and the enforcement of the Education Bill 2024.

For now, the eyes of the nation—and the world—are on the coming months, when the Ministry will begin to roll out its detailed implementation plans. The success of this balancing act could set a precedent for other South Asian countries grappling with similar challenges. In the meantime, students, teachers, and parents alike await the concrete steps that will turn the vision of neutral, quality education into everyday reality.