Creating global citizens from a boarding school in Bangladesh

The school was established in 2012, and I took over its ownership in 2015. At the time, many people advised me against the decision. Even banks refused to finance the acquisition, cautioning that boarding schools rarely make profits. But profit was never my driving force. I have always believed that when education is pursued with integrity and purpose, its value extends far beyond financial returns.

From day one, my vision was clear. I wanted to build an institution that produces global citizens, not merely students who perform well in examinations, but young people who think independently, act responsibly, and understand the world beyond themselves.

I never set out to build just another school. From the very beginning, I was thinking about something far more enduring—legacy.

That realisation truly struck me during one of my visits to Harvard University. Like many visitors, I noticed people lining up early in the morning to touch the foot of the John Harvard statue. Later, a close friend of mine, a Harvard graduate, shared a lesser-known story with me. The statue, he explained, is not an accurate likeness of John Harvard at all. In fact, no image of him exists.

Almost 150 years after the university was founded, the trustees wanted to honour its young Irish founder but had nothing concrete to rely on. So they asked students to identify someone among them who best matched the historical descriptions. A student was selected by majority vote, and that student became the model for the statue.

What stayed with me was not the statue itself, but the meaning behind it. For more than 600 years, people have continued to respect John Harvard—not because of how he looked, but because of what he built. A successful institution creates its own memory, and those who lay its foundation are remembered through the lives it shapes.

That thought stayed with me closely when I became involved with Pledge Harbor International School.

Our vision naturally led us to the International Baccalaureate (IB) curriculum. My confidence in IB was deeply personal. Both of my sons studied under the IB system, and I saw firsthand how it shapes not only academic ability, but character.

IB is a truly holistic curriculum. It encourages students to ask questions, think critically, and engage meaningfully with real-world issues. Concepts such as environmental responsibility, social awareness, ethical reasoning, and leadership are not optional additions—they sit at the very core of the learning process.

What truly sets IB apart is accountability. Schools are regularly assessed, monitored, and reviewed. Teaching methods, faculty standards, student engagement, everything is examined. If a school fails to maintain the required standards, its accreditation is at risk. This ensures that an IB school in Bangladesh delivers the same quality of education as an IB school anywhere else in the world. Much like an international hotel chain, the standard remains consistent, regardless of location.

When we took over Pledge Harbor, the school was widely known for its strong sports focus. The previous ownership had positioned it largely as a sports academy. While I firmly believe that sports are important, and we continue to invest heavily in facilities such as swimming pools, gyms, and both indoor and outdoor courts—I was clear that sports would support education, not define it.

Our primary focus shifted to academics and character development. We restructured the school, invested in IB accreditation, trained our teachers, and brought in experienced academic leadership. Today, Pledge Harbor stands as the only IB boarding school in Bangladesh—a distinction that comes with both pride and responsibility.

My background as a businessman, particularly in export-oriented industries, has been helpful in areas such as financial planning, budgeting, and long-term sustainability. However, academic decisions remain independent. Education cannot be run like a factory, and learning cannot be reduced to numbers.

That said, I see strong alignment between modern business principles and the IB philosophy. Risk-taking, ethical decision-making, problem-solving, and out-of-the-box thinking are essential in both worlds. Through programmes such as CAS (Creativity, Activity, Service) and Theory of Knowledge, students are encouraged to engage with real social and environmental challenges. I often share real-life experiences from business to help students connect theory with practice, regardless of the profession they eventually choose.

Teacher recruitment is another area where we maintain very high standards. IB-trained teachers are essential. In many cases, we recruit promising graduates from reputed universities and invest heavily in their training through IB-certified programmes—sometimes online, and sometimes in countries such as India or Singapore. After completing their training, they commit to working with us for several years.

Because IB-qualified teachers are still limited in Bangladesh, we also recruit from India, Sri Lanka, and the Philippines. In my experience, teachers from these regions are highly dedicated and deeply invested in student development.

Boarding education, however, remains a challenge in Bangladesh. We are a family-centric society, and parents naturally want their children close to home. Yet boarding schools foster independence, discipline, and resilience. The success of cadet college graduates is proof of this. Students who grow up in structured residential environments rarely struggle later in life.

When boarding education is combined with an advanced curriculum like IB, the results can be transformative. Globally, IB students enjoy significantly higher acceptance rates at top universities compared to many other curricula.

My vision for Pledge Harbor International School over the next ten years is simple. I want our graduates to attend leading universities, succeed in their chosen fields, and contribute meaningfully to society. When I hear that a former student has graduated from an institution like Princeton or Brown and is making a difference in the world, that will be my greatest reward.

Money has never been my motivation. I have been fortunate in business. What I seek now is contribution and continuity.

I studied at a school in Naogaon that was established in 1884. Even today, its founder is remembered with deep respect because generations of students benefited from his vision. That is the true power of education, it preserves legacy through impact.

That is what I hope Pledge Harbor will become: an institution remembered not for its buildings, but for the lives it shapes and the future it helps create.