Why alumni associations matter and why most of them don’t work in Bangladesh

For many young people in Bangladesh, life after graduation is the first real test of adulthood. Finding a full-time job can feel challenging. Yet most opportunities do not come from job portals alone; they often come through personal connections. An active alumni network of one's alma mater is often one of the most reliable ways to access those opportunities.

Alumni networks are groups of people who studied at the same institution. Some are formal, university-run bodies; others are informal WhatsApp circles, Facebook groups, or Messenger chats. But their power lies in a simple reality: shared experience creates trust.

This is especially true for fresh graduates entering the job market. Unlike the often impersonal interactions on LinkedIn, alumni networks offer a sense of comfort and welcome. Even if you do not know everyone in the group, you feel it home.

A referral from an alumnus working at your dream company can shift your chances dramatically. This is as valuable in academia as in the corporate world.

A 2024 World Economic Forum report found that companies with strong alumni programmes benefit in recruitment, collaboration, and innovation, especially when former employees return with new experience.

So the question is: why don't most of them work in Bangladesh?

According to SM Topu Topazzal, president of Students' Association of Bangladesh in Malaysia, the answer is structural.

"The way alumni associations actually work is very different from how they are perceived in Bangladesh," he said. "In Bangladesh, most universities, colleges, or schools outside Dhaka do not have alumni associations. So, only a select group of students in the country enjoy the benefits of such associations."

Even those living abroad often cannot support their juniors simply because there is no organised body to facilitate communication. Students at many universities, including established ones, rely on informal, small-circle networks that extend only three to five batches.

"As far as I know, the University of Dhaka does not have a central alumni association. However, each of its departments has its own alumni association," he added.

The number of active and effective alumni associations is limited, and in many cases, they only focus on a specific age group that fails to connect and engage with the youth. If universities can build their alumni associations in a way that current students can access them, it may open new opportunities for the next generation. But most institutions do not keep this in perspective.

Hasibul Islam Rafi, Digital Communications and Community Outreach Consultant, UNDP Asia and the Pacific

This fragmentation means that students outside Dhaka, or those in public universities with weaker management systems, miss out on connections that could change their lives.

"But universities outside Dhaka should establish alumni associations," Topu said. "Such associations provide many benefits abroad, in employment, and in various other fields."

Exclusive clubs, missing linkages

Md Taqi Yasir, lecturer in the Department of English at Jahangirnagar University, noted that even where alumni associations do exist, they often fall into exclusivity or elitism.

He mentioned that although the association runs outreach programmes such as cancer donation campaigns, most former students have little idea of what it actually does.

But he shared his experience with the St Joseph's Old Boys Foundation (SJOBF), which was different.

"The Old Boys Foundation is active on a regular basis — from elite-level programmes to school-level involvement. They remain well connected with the school. If the school needs anything—a tournament, a debate fest—they provide support. We can reach out to them at any time. There are no barriers."

The difference lies in structure, accessibility, and a culture of openness rather than curation.

The university paradox

Another layer emerges when examining universities. According to Taqi, many universities see alumni networks come to life only during admission seasons. When juniors arrive on new campuses, banners from older alumni associations create a sense of belonging and even comfort.

"Imagine going to a new place. At that moment, these alumni associations create a 'sense of belonging,'" he said. Seeing the presence of people from their old school or college calms students under the pressure of entrance exams. "They feel included and think, 'If I face any problem, they are there.'"

But this visibility is seasonal. Once the admission season is over, many university-level alumni networks fade. Some universities, like Shahjalal University of Science and Technology (SUST), have no alumni association at all.

According to Taqi, a strong alumni network arises not from administrative planning, but from an unusually intense campus culture. "This senior-junior bonding is so strong that someone 40 years older than me would say, 'I am your elder brother; I am from this batch, this hall.' And instantly, a bond is formed."

However, Hasibul Islam Rafi, Digital Communications and Community Outreach Consultant at UNDP Asia and the Pacific and an alumnus of RUET, denies the claim that alumni associations do not work in Bangladesh.

"Alumni association works. But the number of active and effective associations is limited, and in many cases, they only focus on a specific age group that fails to connect and engage with the youth."

He believes the solution lies in structural integration. "If universities can build their alumni associations in a way that current students can access them, it may open new opportunities for the next generation. But most institutions do not keep this in perspective."

For graduates struggling with job searches and the uncertainties of early adulthood, alumni networks are not a luxury; they can be a lifeline. Bangladesh has the potential for strong alumni cultures. What it lacks is a collective push to make these networks accessible to all, not just those who attended elite schools in Dhaka.