Can a new higher education model finally make Bangladeshi graduates ‘job-ready’?
The proposed framework appears to address the skills mismatch by moving beyond the traditional emphasis on theoretical knowledge and recognising that employability is shaped by a broader set of competencies
For years, Bangladesh's tertiary education system has faced criticism for producing graduates who lack employable skills. Employers frequently complain that fresh graduates do not possess the skills required for vacant positions. On the other hand, graduates often complain about low salaries and jobs that fail to make use of their abilities.
The consequences are visible across the labour market. According to the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics' Labour Force Survey 2024, around 885,000 university graduates were unemployed, making degree holders the single largest group among the country's 2.62 million unemployed people.
The graduate unemployment rate stood at 13.5%, nearly three times higher than the national unemployment rate. More alarming is that it has more than doubled over the past eight years.
The survey also found that one in three unemployed graduates remained without work for up to two years after completing their studies, highlighting a persistent disconnect between higher education and labour market demand.
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Thousands of graduates leave universities every year only to discover that academic credentials alone are no longer enough. Employers increasingly seek practical experience, digital literacy, problem-solving ability, communication skills and adaptability.
To counter the crisis, the government has proposed a restructuring of higher education. Under the new framework, only 40% of learning would focus on academic knowledge, while the remainder would be devoted to practical skills, internships, project-based learning, entrepreneurship and career development.
Education Minister ANM Ehsanul Haque Milon claimed that the goal is to move beyond a degree-centric model and build a workforce equipped with the skills employers seek.
The proposal appears to address many of the shortcomings that educators, employers and development experts have identified for years. The real question, however, is whether this structural shift can translate into better employment outcomes for graduates.
How previous attempts fared
Bangladesh's higher education reforms have a long history, but implementation has often lagged behind ambition. The Qudrat-e-Khuda Education Commission (1974) first diagnosed the system's colonial legacy of rote learning and weak research culture, recommending a unified degree structure and stronger investment in science and laboratories.
The Interim Education Committee (1974 and 1979) highlighted the risks of rapid expansion without infrastructure, calling for curriculum modernisation, professional English training and stronger academic resources.
In 1987, the Mafizuddin Ahmed Commission focused on governance reforms, proposing a unified curriculum, merit-based faculty recruitment and faster examination systems. The National Education Policy 2010 further pushed ICT integration, semester-based education and private sector participation under regulation.
While these frameworks shaped policy direction, implementation has been partial and uneven.
Projects such as the Higher Education Quality Enhancement Project (HEQEP) improved quality assurance mechanisms and research infrastructure, while newer initiatives have sought to modernise ICT and engineering curricula.
However, weak institutional capacity, bureaucratic fragmentation and political discontinuity have repeatedly slowed sustained reform, leaving many foundational problems in higher education largely unresolved.
Acknowledging a long-standing problem
Perhaps the biggest strength of the proposal is that it explicitly acknowledges a problem that policymakers have often avoided confronting.
Bangladesh's higher education sector has expanded rapidly over the past two decades. The number of universities and students has increased significantly, creating unprecedented access to tertiary education. Yet expansion has not always translated into stronger links between learning and employment.
Research suggests that universities have often remained disconnected from industry needs despite the country's ambition to transition towards a knowledge-based economy. The new framework appears to address this issue by moving beyond the traditional emphasis on theoretical knowledge and recognising that employability is shaped by a broader set of competencies.
In many ways, the proposal reflects a global trend. Around the world, universities are increasingly expected not only to teach and conduct research but also to contribute directly to economic development, innovation and workforce preparation.
Why internships matter
Among the most promising aspects of the proposal is the decision to dedicate 20% of learning to internships, fieldwork and project-based education.
In theory, this could help address one of the biggest frustrations employers express when recruiting fresh graduates: the lack of workplace experience.
M Nazmul Haq, former professor at the Institute of Education and Research at the University of Dhaka, believes this component could significantly strengthen graduate readiness if implemented properly.
"To modernise technical education, it is imperative that students gain comprehensive laboratory and practical experience. Theoretical knowledge alone is insufficient in technical disciplines; students must be equipped with hands-on skills that reflect current industry standards," he said.
He argues that the success of practical learning depends heavily on engagement with employers.
"The cornerstone of this improvement is industrial collaboration. Without direct links to the industry, practical training risks becoming obsolete."
However, for internships, there have to be enough openings first.
"Any major reform should ideally be introduced gradually and tested through pilot projects so that its impact can be properly assessed before wider implementation. I hope that the government will give due consideration to these issues and proceed with attention."
Bangladesh's universities collectively serve millions of students. Creating meaningful placements at such scale will require extensive cooperation from the private sector, government agencies and development partners. Without adequate placement opportunities, mandatory internships risk becoming administrative formalities rather than genuine learning experiences.
A second positive aspect of the proposal is its emphasis on industry-academia collaboration. The new proposed model calls for stronger university-industry partnerships.
Nazmul Haq sees considerable potential in this approach. He noted that such partnerships often create direct employment pathways.
"When industries engage with interns, it often creates a direct pipeline to employment, as companies prefer to hire proven, high-quality candidates from their own internship programmes."
If implemented effectively, such a model could reduce one of the biggest barriers facing first-time job seekers: the demand for experience before obtaining a first job, he believes.
The curriculum needs to be updated first
Yet, enthusiasm should be tempered with realism.
Subail Bin Alam, an Economic Growth Technical Specialist, argues that curriculum restructuring by itself will not resolve deeper systemic weaknesses.
"Not a single Bangladeshi university made it into the top 500 of the QS World University Rankings 2026. Furthermore, we continue to lag behind in graduate employability, even within South Asia."
For him, the challenge extends beyond how curriculum percentages are allocated.
"Merely rearranging the syllabus into percentage-based frameworks does not solve the underlying problem—it simply reshuffles it."
His criticism echoes an important policy question raised by Nazmul Huq. The concern is particularly relevant in technology-related fields, where industry standards evolve rapidly.
"For instance, a Computer Science curriculum taught on decade-old hardware is no longer relevant; the curriculum must be continually updated to ensure students are conversant with modern technology upon graduation," Nazmul Huq added.
"This proposal is a good start towards the proper industry-academia linkage that has been missing in our job market for a long time," he said.
Countries that consistently produce highly employable graduates typically focus not only on curriculum design but also on curriculum quality, institutional autonomy, faculty development, research capacity and international accreditation.
Subail points to examples such as the National University of Singapore, which regularly reviews programmes with industry participation, and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology's CDIO framework, which integrates theory and practice throughout courses rather than separating them into distinct categories.
"What we truly need is a globally certified syllabus, internationally accredited degrees, annual co-review agreements with foreign universities, and mandatory research or industry-based internships in the final year," he noted.
Calls for evidence-based implementation
Professor Mohammad Kaykobad, distinguished professor at BRAC University and former BUET academic, welcomed efforts to improve graduate employability but stressed that major reforms should be grounded in international experience and evidence.
"Given the current stage of our nation's development, compared with many other countries, we are still in a position where we need to learn from others rather than lead. Therefore, I hope that the proposal has been supported by substantial research from countries across the world and thorough deliberation, taking into account the experiences of countries that have made significant progress."
Rather than attempting to develop entirely new models, policymakers should carefully examine what has worked elsewhere and adapt those lessons to the local context, he argued.
He said, "Any major reform should ideally be introduced gradually and tested through pilot projects so that its impact can be properly assessed before wider implementation. I hope that the government will give due consideration to these issues and proceed with attention."
Subail bin Alam said, "If implemented thoughtfully, the framework could help narrow the long-standing disconnect between classrooms and workplaces. It could also support Bangladesh's ambition to build a knowledge-based economy powered by skilled human capital rather than low-cost labour alone."
"The proposal's success will ultimately depend on execution. The challenge is substantial, but so is the opportunity."
