Third‑language education will be introduced at 50 universities across Bangladesh by December this year, University Grants Commission (UGC) member Prof Dr Abdullah‑Al‑Mamun has said. He said the initiative is aimed at expanding employment and higher education opportunities at home and abroad, as part of the government’s election pledge.
Mamun made the remarks as a special guest at the inauguration of the Confucius Institute at the University of Chittagong (CU) on Saturday. The institute was established jointly by CU and China’s Yunnan Minzu University.
He said the UGC is also working to create opportunities for joint and dual degree programmes at Bangladeshi universities, noting that partnerships with Chinese higher education institutions could contribute to the internationalisation of the country’s universities.
“The world is becoming increasingly interconnected. In this context, knowledge of an additional language can expand students’ academic and professional opportunities while strengthening their ability to communicate internationally.”
According to Mamun, the government’s 2026 election manifesto emphasised expanding access to third‑language education, including Mandarin, Japanese, German, Korean and Arabic, to increase educational and employment opportunities for students.
The UGC plans to establish third‑language centres at universities across all divisional regions, he said. Institutions such as the newly established Confucius Institute at CU will be important partners in implementing the initiative.
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