Year
2026
Reform Domain
Manifesto Watch
Education
Sub Domain
Education and Human Resource Development
Source of Reform Proposals
Election Manifesto of Bangladesh Nationalist Party - BNP
Reform Proposed
Reform Initiated
Legal and Policy Framework
Operationalisation
Action Implementation
Stage of Implementation
Reform Proposed
Last Update: 10-Sep-26
This pledge has been articulated in the Bangladesh Nationalist Party’s (BNP) election manifesto for Bangladesh’s 13th National Election. The manifesto states that "To create opportunities for employment and higher education, such as Arabic, Japanese, Korean, Italian, Mandarin, and others will be introduced from the secondary level alongside Bangla and English."
Reform Initiated
Last Update: 10-Sep-26
On 8 June 2026, the education minister announced that third-language learning would be incorporated into the ongoing curriculum reform process scheduled for implementation from 2028. The FY2026–27 budget speech mentioned plans to recruit 1,000 native speakers as teachers to promote foreign language education. Furthermore, the budget speech also mentioned plans to establish a ‘Foreign Language E-Learning Centre’ and a ‘Migration Market Research Institute’ under the Ministry of Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment. On 29 June 2026, Prime Minister Tarique Rahman announced that five foreign languages would be introduced as mandatory "Third Language" options at the secondary and higher secondary levels. The five foreign language options include Mandarin (Chinese), Japanese, French, German, and Arabic.
Observation
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The available evidence shows that the government has begun preparing for compulsory third-language education, including curriculum planning and the identification of five foreign-language options. The government has also indicated that Mandarin will receive particular priority. However, no publicly available policy, guideline or curriculum framework has yet been identified that explains how third-language education will be introduced at the secondary and higher-secondary levels.
Separately, according to media reports on 26 September 2026, a UGC member stated that third-language education would be introduced at 50 universities by December, with plans for language centres across the divisional regions and cooperation with foreign embassies to secure experts and teaching materials for Mandarin, Japanese, German, Korean and Arabic. While this indicates broader institutional preparation for foreign-language education, it remains separate from the secondary-level initiative covered by the pledge.
Resources