Bangladesh Plans to Ease Visa Policy to Attract Foreign Investors and International Students

Bangladesh is planning to simplify its visa policy to attract more foreign investment and international students, Education and Primary and Mass Education Minister Dr. A.N.M. Ehsanul Haque Milon announced on Monday.

Speaking as the chief guest at the QS Bangladesh Forum 2026 in the capital, the minister said the proposed initiative would make it easier for international students to obtain visas to pursue higher education in Bangladesh.

He said the move would help position Bangladesh as a more attractive destination for overseas students while expanding the country's higher education sector on the global stage.

More than 90 universities from across Bangladesh participated in the forum.

The minister called for greater emphasis on artificial intelligence (AI), technical and vocational education and training (TVET), and research to improve the quality of higher education and strengthen the global competitiveness of Bangladeshi universities.

He said technical and vocational education is essential to transforming Bangladesh's large population into a skilled workforce. Universities, he added, should expand TVET programs while also increasing the integration of AI into higher education.

Highlighting the importance of research, Milon said Bangladeshi universities must enhance both the quality and volume of research to improve their standing in the QS World University Rankings. He also stressed the need to promote cross-border education to strengthen international collaboration and raise the global profile of Bangladesh's higher education sector.

The minister said Bangladesh has no shortage of talented teachers and students, noting that Bangladeshi scholars have consistently performed well at universities abroad and contributed significantly to research. He emphasized the importance of encouraging a "reverse brain drain" by attracting highly skilled Bangladeshis living overseas to return home and contribute to national development.

> "We want to establish Bangladesh as an education hub, and we have the potential to achieve that," he said.

At the event, University Grants Commission (UGC) Chairman Prof. Dr. Mamun Ahmed presented the keynote paper. Other speakers included Dr. Md. Sabur Khan, Chairman of the Association of Private Universities of Bangladesh (APUB); Ishtiaque Abedin, Member of the Board of Trustees of American International University-Bangladesh (AIUB); Jason Newman, Chief Commercial Officer of QS; and Dr. Ashwin Fernandes, Chairman of QS India, who delivered the welcome address.