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 was included in the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP)’s election manifesto for Bangladesh’s 13th national election. The pledge states that “To expand digital access in education, BNP plans to introduce free Wi-Fi in schools, colleges, cafes and libraries, supporting students’ study and research and reducing the digital divide.”
Reform Initiated
Last Update: 10-Sep-26
On 8 April 2026, the Prime Minister stated in parliament that initiatives were underway to provide free WI-FI to approximately 1,500 educational institutions. He also mentioned that within 180 days, free Wi-Fi would be introduced in 2,336 technical schools and 8,232 madrasas. On 28 June 2026, the education minister informed the Parliament that the government plans to provide free Wi-Fi to 15,000 educational institutions.
Observation
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BNP government's "180 Days of Government of the People" report states that activities are underway to introduce free Wi-Fi in 2,418 technical educational institutions and 8,232 madrasas across the country, while according to the Bangladesh Education Statistics 2024, the percentage of secondary schools with Internet Connection is 80.98 per cent, the percentage of colleges with Internet/Modem Connection is 90.38 per cent, and the percentage of Madrasah with Internet Connection is 66.59 per cent. The 180-day report also states that Tk 1,000 per school per month is being allocated from the administrative operations budget to ensure uninterrupted internet connectivity in the country’s 65,569 government primary schools.
Citizen’s Platform’s previous analysis estimated that extending Wi-Fi installation to 66,261 government primary and secondary schools could require a one-time cost of around Tk 33 crore. However, existing connectivity is already relatively high in many institutions, suggesting that future efforts may need to focus not only on expanding coverage but also on reliability, maintenance and effective use for learning. Further clarity on support for secondary schools, colleges, cafés and libraries would help assess the full implementation of the pledge.