Brain drain from Bangladesh is increasing at an alarming pace. In the past two decades, the number of students going abroad for higher education has tripled.
Every year, on average, more than 50,000 students leave the country to pursue higher studies. Their destinations include the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, and at least 57 other countries worldwide. Some go for PhD programs, others for Master’s or Bachelor’s degrees.
Every year, about 80 billion taka is spent on these students abroad. Nearly 90 percent of them settle permanently in their host countries after completing their studies—taking jobs in hopes of better career prospects and safer lives.
As a result, the talent nurtured with taxpayers’ money in Bangladesh ends up serving other nations, while Bangladesh itself is deprived. Educationists and stakeholders say that a silent revolution of brain drain has already taken place, but no one seems to care.
This trend has become a major barrier to human resource development and is dragging down national progress.
Meanwhile, 271 faculty members of different public universities who went abroad for higher education never returned. At BUET (Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology), 40–50 percent of each batch of graduates migrate permanently.
Medical students, too, are increasingly leaving for higher studies and jobs abroad. According to officials of the Foreign Education and Career Development Consultants Association of Bangladesh (FADCAB) and educationists, one of the main reasons behind brain drain is that talented youth in Bangladesh do not find recognition for their merit. Instead, less qualified individuals often occupy desired positions through political lobbying or bribery.
Other reasons include low salaries, poor working conditions, lack of opportunities to utilize skills, and political instability. For many, developed countries in Europe and America become the ultimate refuge. Promises of secure jobs and safer lives abroad also encourage students to settle permanently. Educationists suggest forming a “Talent Hunt Pool” to check brain drain—sending bright students abroad for advanced education, but ensuring they return to contribute to the nation.
Bangladeshi Students in the US Increased Sevenfold in a Decade:
In the last ten years, the number of Bangladeshi students in the United States has increased sevenfold. In 2011–2012, there were 3,314 Bangladeshi students in the US; in 2023–24, the number rose to 17,099.
According to Open Doors International Students Data, Bangladeshi student enrollment in the US grew by 26% in one year—the highest among South Asian countries. UNESCO’s Global Flow of Tertiary-Level Students reports that in 2023, 52,799 Bangladeshi students went to 55 countries for higher education (up from 49,151 in 2022 and 44,338 in 2021).
In 2013, the number was 24,112, and in 2005, it was 15,000—meaning it has more than doubled in ten years and tripled in twenty. Consultants believe the actual numbers are even higher.
Cost of Producing a Graduate at BUET:
According to BUET Alumni Association data, in the 1986 Computer Science batch, 25 out of 31 students are now abroad. In the 1994 batch, 35 out of 45 live overseas. In 1998, 30 out of 65 did the same.
The government spends over 500,000 taka on each postgraduate from public universities, at least 1 million taka per BUET graduate, and more than 1.5 million for medical graduates—all funded by taxpayers.
When Talent Goes Unrecognized: The Story of Tania Ahmed
Years ago, at Shahjalal University of Science and Technology, Tania Ahmed ranked first in her department. By rules, she should have been considered for a teaching post. Instead, a less qualified classmate, a student political leader, was recruited.
Hurt and humiliated, Tania went to Lund University in Sweden on a scholarship. She is now a faculty member there and has taken Swedish citizenship.
Shift in Youth Aspirations
For years, civil service was the top choice for Bangladeshi students seeking secure futures. Around 90 percent of job seekers would prepare for BCS exams, though only a small number could succeed each year. In the last decade, however, a clear shift has taken place—large numbers of students now aim for higher education abroad.
Rafiqul Islam, who graduated from BUET’s EEE department in 2024, is preparing to leave for advanced studies and safe employment overseas. Like thousands of others, he believes that despite job availability in Bangladesh, opportunities matching qualifications are inadequate.
Money Laundering through Education
Some students going abroad are children of corrupt elites. Under the guise of higher education, they launder foreign currency, buy homes and cars abroad, or secure permanent residency (PR) through business investments. However, many students also rely on scholarships, part-time jobs, or their families’ last financial resources.
Call for Reverse Brain Drain
At a seminar in Dhaka, Education Reform Initiative (ERI) chairman and former State Minister for Education Dr. A. N. M. Ehsanul Haque Milon said:
“We had hoped that our Nobel laureate chief advisor would create a talent pool to send students abroad for the right kind of education and then bring them back with dignity to serve the country. This reverse brain drain is now the most urgent need for our education system.”
Learning from China and India
A Dhaka University professor noted that sending students abroad for advanced education and global exposure is not a crime; it is necessary.
But in countries like China and India, most graduates return to serve their homeland, thanks to structured investment and loan facilities. Bangladesh, however, sees the opposite trend—most students never return.
Three Major Losses for the Country
Experts point to three broad losses when students settle abroad:
The nation is deprived of their service. They stop sending remittances, and many even liquidate assets to finance their departure. Corrupt officials, politicians, and businesspeople exploit this channel to launder money abroad, often through illegal hundi.
55% of Youth Want to Migrate
According to the British Council’s Next Generation Bangladesh 2024 study, 55% of Bangladeshis aged 18–35 want to migrate abroad. A 2018 BRAC youth survey found 20% of youth wanted to move overseas for better lives and careers. Educationists warn that a nation’s future depends on nurturing its young, talented generation—but in Bangladesh, they face neglect and lack of recognition. Political favoritism and bribery often allow less qualified people to take the positions they deserve.
“Where the Talented Are Not Valued, They Cease to Be Born”
A Dhaka University professor said:
“The young generation is the key human resource of a nation. But when lobbying and corruption deny opportunities to the qualified, frustration grows. Many lose faith in the system and desperately seek to leave. As Dr. Muhammad Shahidullah once said, ‘Where the talented are not valued, the talented cease to be born.’”