Govt working to reverse brain drain: Education Minister

Education Minister Dr A.N.M. Ehsanul Hoque Milon said the government is working to reverse brain drain and aims to transform Bangladesh’s universities into institutions comparable to Harvard, Cambridge and MIT.

He urged the fresher’s to pursue innovation and prepare to lead globally through research and knowledge. He made this remarks Gazipur Agricultural University (GAU) on Saturday held an orientation program for 546 newly admitted students for the Summer 2026 term. Alongside the inauguration of a campus-wide tree-planting campaign under the government’s five-year initiative to plant 250 million trees held.

The minister also interacted with students, responding to questions during the session. The program concluded with a vote of thanks by Director of Student Affairs Prof Dr Mohammad Sharif Raihan.
The day’s events began with a colorful rally led by Education Minister Dr A.N.M. Ehsanul Hoque Milon and attended by GAU Vice-Chancellor Prof Dr GKM Mustafizur Rahman, Gazipur-2 MP M Manjurul Karim Rony, Gazipur Deputy Commissioner Nurul Karim Bhuiyan, faculty members, officials and students.

The minister later inaugurated the plantation program by planting medicinal and fruit-bearing saplings on campus.

The orientation ceremony, held at Begum Sufia Kamal Auditorium, welcomed 546 students, including 513 undergraduate, 30 masters’ and three PhD entrants. University Registrar Md Abdullah Mridha delivered the welcome address, while university authorities briefed students on academic regulations,discipline, ethics and campus life.

A documentary showcasing GAU’s research and institutional achievements was also screened. Addressing the program, Vice-Chancellor Prof Dr GKM Mustafizur Rahman highlighted the university’s growing global recognition, noting that GAU ranked first among Bangladesh’s public universities in the Times Higher Education (THE) Impact Rankings 2026.

He said the university placed 82nd globally in SDG 1 (No Poverty), 66th in SDG 2 (Zero Hunger), and in the 101-200 band for SDG 4 (Quality Education). He also noted that GAU ranked 23rd worldwide in the World University Rankings for Innovation (WURI) 2026 under the “Technology Transfer for Economic Development” category the only Bangladeshi public university to make the global top 100 and secured the top position among the country’s agricultural universities and third among public universities in the QS Sustainability Rankings 2026.