Dhaka: Prime Minister Tarique Rahman announced today that the government is planning to introduce technical and vocational training for Qawmi madrasa students to enhance their employment prospects both domestically and internationally. The Prime Minister made this declaration during a question-answer session at the beginning of today's parliamentary sitting, in response to a supplementary question from Monirul Haque Chowdhury, the lawmaker from the Cumilla-6 constituency.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, the Prime Minister highlighted that a significant decision was made in 2006 through a gazette notification to establish a permanent institution, the 'Qawmi Madrasa Education Board Bangladesh,' to coordinate and develop all Qawmi madrasas in the country and to conduct public examinations. Further advancements were made with the enactment of the 'Al-Haiatul Ulya Lil-Jamiatil Qawmia Bangladesh' act in 2018, which equated the Dawra-e-Hadith (Takmil) Certificate to a Master's degree in Islamic Studies and Arabic, leading to the formation of six dedicated Qawmi madrasa education boards.
The boards include Befaqul Madarisil Arabia Bangladesh, Befaqul Madarisil Qawmia Gawhardanga Bangladesh, Anjumane Ittehadul Madaris Bangladesh, Azad Dini Adara-E-Talim Bangladesh, Tanjimul Madarisid Dinia Bangladesh, and Jatiya Deeni Madrasah Education Board Bangladesh. The Prime Minister noted that certificates from these boards are now recognized as the required qualifications for certain educational posts, following an amendment to the Private Educational Institutions (Madrasa) Manpower Structure and MPO Policy in June 2026.
Addressing a question from lawmaker Abul Khair Bhuiyan of the Lakshmipur-2 constituency, the Prime Minister affirmed that religious education is already a part of the national curriculum and expressed openness to further development of this educational aspect.
When asked by Md Mahbubul Alam, the representative from Kurigram-3, about the nationalization of Ibtedaie madrasas, the Prime Minister assured that a detailed response would be provided upon receiving a formal notice from the lawmaker.
The parliamentary session commenced at 3:30 pm with Speaker Hafiz Uddin Ahmad presiding. In the initial half-hour of the session, the Prime Minister responded to four written questions and six supplementary questions from various lawmakers.