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It is wonderful to see that Bangladesh has, over the years, developed into a preferred destination for thousands of international students to pursue studying medicine, owing to the quality education the country provides at an affordable price.
What is perhaps even more encouraging is that, while students arrive from a host of different countries in South Asia and Africa, students from India make up the largest student body among international students. Their encouraging opinions on why they chose Bangladesh -- owing to the cost and the cultural similarity -- should act as encouragement for the relevant authorities in the education sector to continue to improve their standards, and to continue to attract more international students.
Bangladesh has often rightfully been criticized for not paying enough attention to its education sector. Yet, as the influx of international students to our medical institutions shows, not only does Bangladesh have the ability to provide quality and affordable education, but we can do so at a standard that is appreciable internationally. The challenge now, of course, is to build upon this goodwill that Bangladesh has created within medical students, international as well as local, and expand it to other fields as well.
The global Covid-19 pandemic has, needless to say, put a dent on the arrival of students, and in-person classrooms have largely been halted since March of last year. Yet, we must remain pro-active in planning how to make our education more effective. This will take a concerted effort from the relevant stakeholders -- to gradually transform Bangladesh into a hub for international students who seek a quality, affordable education.
