City Desk :
Professor Dr. Mohammad Anwar Hossain, Member and Chairman (Routine Duty) of the University Grants Commission (UGC), has announced effective initiatives to widen the scope of social and mental health services for university students in Bangladesh.
With support from UNESCO, UGC is implementing a project titled “Social and Mental Health Protection” aimed at delivering mental health services to 10,000 students across 22 public and private universities. In the next phase, the program plans to extend these services institutionally to benefit 1 million students nationwide, says a press release.
Speaking as the chief guest at a workshop on ‘Review of Social Emotional Learning Training Material and Manuals’ held on Wednesday, October 29, 2025, Prof. Hossain stressed the importance of addressing students’ social and mental health needs.
The three-day workshop, jointly organized by UGC and UNESCO at the Commission’s auditorium, was presided over by UGC’s International Collaboration Director (Acting), Ms. Jesmin Parvin. Special guest remarks were delivered by UGC Member Professor Dr. Mohammad Ayub Islam.
Prof. Anwar Hossain pointed out recent unfortunate incidents at Daffodil and City Universities, urging the academic community to learn from such events. He also called on teachers and parents to play a strong role in fostering students’ moral values.
Dr. Ayub Islam highlighted that the workshop would help identify and evaluate online and offline social and mental health protection programs and supportive materials for university students, faculty, researchers, and mental health service providers.
The event included participation from Prof. Dr. Mohammad Mahmudur Rahman, Pro-Vice Chancellor of IUBAT, UNESCO representative Raju Das, student advisors, counselors, mental health experts from 22 universities, as well as UGC officials.
Under the social and mental health protection project, a specialized mental health module is being developed for university students. Led by Associate Professor Syed Tanveer Rahman of Dhaka University’s Department of Psychology, the module is a collaborative effort involving Assistant Professor Md. Rafijjaman from BUET’s Humanities Department and four psychologists from BRAC ID and BRAC University.
The mental health protection service for university students is set to commence in November 2025.
