Leaders of the Association of Private Universities of Bangladesh have expressed deep condolence at the death of Khaleda Zia, three-time prime minister of Bangladesh and recalled her contribution to the higher education sector of Bangladesh.
An eight-member delegation of APUB, led by its president Md Sabur Khan and secretary general Ishtiaque Abedin, paid a courtesy call on Bangladesh Nationalist Party chairman Tarique Rahman at his Gulshan office on Sunday.
Under the leadership of Khaleda Zia, a landmark policy decision was adopted in the National Parliament in 1992 to establish private universities for the first time in the country — ushering in a transformative era in Bangladesh’s higher education system, they recalled.
The APUB leaders said that more than 400,000 students today are pursuing higher education under internationally recognised curricula. This has played a significant role in human resource development, employment generation, and strengthening global connectivity.
At the meeting, Tarique Rahman highlighted content creation, freelancing, and online trading facilities as important sources of foreign currency earnings for educated youth, professionals, and entrepreneurs. He also mentioned plans to establish modern hi-tech cities to support and facilitate these activities.
BNP Standing Committee Member Salahuddin Ahmed; APUB vice-chairman KBM Moin Uddin Chishti; chairman of the Board of Trustees of North South University Aziz Al Kaiser; chairperson of the Board of Trustees of BRAC University Tamara Hasan Abed; member of the Board of Trustees of North South University MA Kashem; and member of the Board of Trustees of Independent University, Bangladesh Javed Hossain were present at the meeting.
