Stressing the urgent need to restore the principles and ethics of the current education system, Education Minister Dr. ANM Ehsanul Hoque Milan has emphasized that building a prosperous Bangladesh requires nurturing the younger generation on the foundation of patriotism and moral values.
"We are drifting far away from our core moral foundation, which requires deep reflection. To build a prosperous Bangladesh, the new generation must be raised on patriotism and ethical values," he said.
The minister was addressing as the chief guest at the closing session of the three-day "International Conference on Knowledge Integration and Educational Leadership (ICKIEL-2026)" held at Ahsanullah University of Science and Technology (AUST) on Monday.
He joined the program virtually from China, where he is attending the World Vocational and Technical Education Development Conference 2026.
Highlighting his experience in China, the minister shared that Bangladesh signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with China—alongside 100 participating countries—to enhance Bangladesh's technical education. Under the agreement, strategic educational integration will be undertaken across six priority initiatives to elevate the country's technical education to international standards.
The three-day international conference was jointly organized by the Bangladesh Institute of Islamic Thought (BIIT) and AUST to foster global integration of knowledge and advance international educational leadership. Researchers, academics, policymakers, and university vice-chancellors from around 15 countries—including Bangladesh, the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, Malaysia, Indonesia, Turkey, Nigeria, India, and Pakistan—participated in the event.
Chaired by BIIT Director General and Organizing Committee Chairman Prof. Abdul Aziz at the university's Prof. Dr. MH Khan Auditorium, the session was attended by former Dhaka University Vice-Chancellor Prof. Dr. Niaz Ahmed Khan and AUST Board of Trustees Chairman Prof. Dr. M. Ghulam Rahman as special guests.
Addressing the gathering, former DU Vice-Chancellor Prof. Dr. Niaz Ahmed Khan highlighted structural mismatches in the education sector. "We are failing to integrate moral education with worldly knowledge. On the other hand, our graduates lack the skills demanded by society. While the general unemployment rate in the country stands at around 3.5 percent, the unemployment rate among university graduates is 13.9 percent—which is alarming and represents a national failure," he observed, calling for alignment between spiritual and academic learning and societal needs.
Welcome addresses were delivered by Prof. Dr. Mohammad Sarwar Morshed, Director of Extension Services Center at AUST and Vice-Chairman of the Organizing Committee; Associate Prof. Dr. Mohd Rushdan Mohd Jailani, Dean of the Faculty of Leadership and Management at co-host institution University Sains Islam Malaysia (USIM); and Prof. Dr. Md. Ashraful Hoque, Vice-Chancellor of AUST.
Throughout the conference, scholars and researchers from home and abroad underscored the necessity of bridging knowledge with ethics in modern education systems. Prof. Dr. Mohd Yusof Othman of USIM delivered the vote of thanks at the conclusion of the event.