Govt to recruit around 9,000 religious teachers: Education Minister

The government plans to recruit around 9,000 religious teachers across the country, Education Minister A N M Ehsanul Haque Milan told parliament on Sunday (March 15).

Responding to a supplementary question from BNP lawmaker Monirul Haque Chowdhury in the Jatiya Sangsad, the minister said the recruitment process will begin after resolving existing complexities related to qualifications and certification.

The parliamentary session was presided over by Speaker Major (Retd.) Hafiz Uddin Ahmed (Bir Bikram).

Milan said the government also plans to include candidates holding Qariyana certification in the recruitment process. He added that alongside Islamic studies, equal importance will be given to the teaching of other religions.

Replying to a question from NCP member Hasnat Abdullah, the minister said the previous government’s lottery-based admission system for students was not considered reasonable. A new admission policy will be determined for the next academic year after consultations with stakeholders.

The minister also said efforts are underway to bring English-medium schools under government policy frameworks to make them more aligned with national regulations. Initiatives are also being taken to gradually integrate different education streams, including Ebtedayi and Qawmi education, into a coordinated system.

In response to a question from ruling party MP S M Jahangir Hossain, Milan said five major projects are currently being implemented under the Directorate of Primary Education to strengthen the primary education sector.

These include the Fourth Primary Education Development Programme (PEDP-4) running from July 2018 to June 2026, and the Demand-Driven Government Primary School Development Project (Phase-1) continuing until 2026.

He added that projects are also underway to improve the infrastructure and aesthetics of government primary schools in Dhaka and Purbachal until 2027.

Other initiatives include pre-primary and primary education development projects in Cox’s Bazar, Bandarban and Bhasan Char in Noakhali from 2024 to 2027, as well as a school feeding programme in 150 upazilas from January 2025 to December 2027.

The minister further said the Bureau of Non-Formal Education is conducting a course titled “Effective Literacy and Practical Skills Training (Pre-vocational level)” in 58 districts.

Additionally, a project titled 'Alternative Learning Opportunities (ALO) for Out-of-School Children' will be implemented in one upazila in each of the country’s 64 districts. The project was approved at a meeting of the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council on January 25, 2026, and will run from January 2026 to December 2028.