Education Minister Dr ANM Ehsanul Hoque Milon on Monday said Bangladesh must reverse the brain drain by bringing back talented students and researchers from abroad if it wants to establish itself as an education hub.

“We have no shortage of talented teachers and students in our country. Our students are doing very well in research and academic results at universities abroad. We must bring them back through reverse brain drain and put that talent to use,” he said.

No plan now to nationalise private primary schools: Milon

The minister was speaking as the chief guest at the QS (Quacquarelli Symonds) Bangladesh Forum 2026 at a city hotel.

The forum, themed “Benchmark Bangladesh: Building World-Class Universities Through Global Standards,” was attended by representatives from more than 90 universities across Bangladesh.

Milon said there is no alternative to technical and vocational education and training (TVET) if the country’s large population is to be transformed into a productive workforce.

He called for greater emphasis on TVET at the university level and wider use of artificial intelligence (AI) in higher education.

The minister also stressed the need for universities to focus more on research to improve Bangladesh’s position in global QS rankings and underscored the importance of cross-border education.

“We want to build Bangladesh as an education hub. We have that capacity,” he said.

Talking to reporters after the event, Milon said more than 12 lakh applications have been submitted for re-evaluation of SSC answer scripts this year, describing the unusually high volume as a major challenge for the re-evaluation process.

“It appears almost all students want their scripts reassessed,” Milon said.

He said the government is planning to formulate a new policy on answer-script re-evaluation to establish clear criteria for determining which scripts could be reassessed.

The minister also said the government has taken steps to simplify visa procedures to attract foreign investment and create greater opportunities for foreign students to study in Bangladesh.