Bangladesh to roll out nationwide Chinese language courses

Bangladesh and China have agreed to expand Chinese language education across Bangladesh’s technical colleges, integrating language learning with vocational skills development to improve graduates’ employment prospects.

The agreement was reached at a bilateral meeting between Bangladesh’s Ministry of Education and China’s Ministry of Education in Tianjin on October 15, on the sidelines of the 2026 World Vocational and Technical Education Development Conference.

Bangladesh’s Education Minister A N M Ehsanul Hoque Milon proposed introducing “Chinese Language + Technical Skill Development” courses at technical colleges nationwide, establishing Chinese language centres at universities and setting up smart classrooms with Chinese government support.

He also invited Chinese educational institutions to help establish vocational diploma institutions modelled on Chinese standards across Bangladesh.

Ren Youqun, vice minister of education of China, endorsed the proposals and assured comprehensive Chinese support for expanding Chinese language education and reforming Bangladesh’s technical and vocational education and training system.

Yu Yunfeng, director-general of China’s Center for Language Education and Cooperation, encouraged Bangladeshi universities to introduce bachelor’s, master’s and PhD programmes in Chinese Language and Literature to develop advanced expertise and strengthen academic research in the field.

The Chinese side also encouraged Bangladesh to train local Chinese language teachers to ensure the long-term sustainability of Chinese language education.

The two sides agreed to explore cooperation with advanced Chinese provincial institutions, particularly in Guangdong, Jiangxi and Anhui provinces.

The meeting also outlined nine broad areas of educational cooperation, including establishing a joint working group on Bangladesh’s Technical and Vocational Education and Training Development (TVETD), developing model vocational colleges, upgrading existing technical institutions and strengthening partnerships between Chinese enterprises and Bangladeshi vocational institutions.

Both sides also agreed to promote teacher exchanges, joint university research and academic collaboration, and establish a monitoring mechanism to assess graduate employment outcomes and the impact of joint projects.

The Bangladeshi delegation was led by Milon, who also serves as minister of primary and mass education. Md Firoj Mahmud, deputy secretary of the Ministry of Primary and Mass Education, was also part of the delegation.

The Chinese delegation was led by Ren and included officials responsible for international cooperation, vocational education and language education.