Minister of Education for Bangladesh welcomes students and staff to the Aga Khan Academy Dhaka

The minister received a tour of the award-winning, 17-acre campus and its state-of-the-art facilities during her visit. She interacted with students and staff in the Academy's lecture hall, Professional Development Centre (PDC) training room, libraries and outdoor learning spaces. The minister commented on the Academy’s distinctive architecture, which pays tribute to local architectural designs, and the students’ exposure to experiential learning opportunities. During her meeting with the students and staff, she emphasised on the importance of developing successful collaborations with local schools and relevant organisations, and how the Academy will be able to accomplish this and advance Bangladesh’s educational system. 

"The education minister was very nice,” said Grade 8 student Maheeb Rahman Chowdhury. “She was very interactive and kind. We learned a lot from her and are happy she visited us at the Academy.”  

The minister also met with the Academy’s Teacher Preparation Programme participants, who are training to become International Baccalaureate (IB) certified teachers and will spend part of their programme at the Aga Khan Academy Hyderabad in India.This programme is the first of many teacher development programmes to be held as part of the Academy’s PDC. 

Before departing, the minister signed the Academy’s guestbook, conveying her amazement and appreciation of the Academy for providing high quality education to exceptional students. She also spoke of the Protocol of Cooperation that was signed between the People’s Republic of Bangladesh and AKDN, facilitating the establishment of the Academy in Dhaka and enhancing the overall collaboration between the country and AKDN in areas of economic, cultural and social development. 

"I have fallen in love with the beautiful brickwork, the feelings of openness, space, light and being in harmony with nature here at this Academy, I believe that it will fulfil all the promises that the Protocol stipulated and much more,” the minister wrote.“This institution will nurture young minds to fulfil their individual dreams as well as creating competent human beings with empathy who will become responsible global citizens.”