Leaders of the Association of Private Universities of Bangladesh (APUB) have expressed deep sorrow and condolences at the passing of Begum Khaleda Zia, three-time former Prime Minister of Bangladesh and Chairperson of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP).
On Sunday, 18 January, during a meeting with BNP Chairperson Tarique Rahman at his Gulshan office, an eight-member delegation of APUB, led by its President Md. Sabur Khan and Secretary General Ishtiaque Abedin, respectfully recalled the historic contributions of Begum Khaleda Zia to the higher education sector of Bangladesh.
Under her leadership, a landmark policy decision was adopted in the National Parliament in 1992 to establish private universities for the first time in the country—ushering in a transformative era in Bangladesh’s higher education system. As a result of her visionary decision, more than 400,000 students today are pursuing higher education under internationally recognized curricula. This has played a significant role in human resource development, employment generation, and strengthening global connectivity.
During the hour-long exchange of views, various issues relating to the current state of higher education in Bangladesh, the role of private universities, as well as existing challenges and future prospects were discussed. At the meeting, Tarique Rahman highlighted content creation, freelancing, and online trading facilities as important sources of foreign currency earnings for educated youth, professionals, and entrepreneurs. He also mentioned plans to establish modern hi-tech cities to support and facilitate these activities.
BNP Standing Committee Member Salahuddin Ahmed; APUB Vice Chairman K. B. M. Moin Uddin Chishti; Chairman of the Board of Trustees of North South University Aziz Al Kaiser; Chairperson of the Board of Trustees of BRAC University Tamara Hasan Abed; Member of the Board of Trustees of North South University M. A. Kashem; and Member of the Board of Trustees of Independent University, Bangladesh (IUB) Javed Hossain were present at the meeting.
