Bangladesh is one of the most densely populated countries in the world with about 140 million people within an area of 147,570 thousand square kilometers. Its vast population is one of the major resources. But the problem lies in transforming the potential people into a productive force and ensuring a dynamic environment for social, economic and political development. Though the literacy rate is officially said to be 66%, but according to private survey the rate is only 42%. Education therefore has been recognized as a priority sector by all governments since her independence.

The education system in Bangladesh is characterized by the co-existence of three separate streams. The mainstream happens to be a vernacular based secular education carried over from the colonial past. There also exists a separate system of religious education. Finally, based on use of English as the medium of instruction, another stream of education, modeled after the British education system, has rapidly grown in the metropolitan cities of Bangladesh.

However diverse the above streams may apparently look, they have certain common elements, and there exists scope for re-integration of graduates of one stream with the other at different levels.

The mainstream education system in Bangladesh is structured as follows: -

Primary Stage:

Primary Education has been made compulsory for children aged 6-10 years by an Act (1990). The compulsory primary education means - "Unless there is a valid ground, the guardian of each child living in an area where primary education has been made compulsory, shall, for the purpose of giving primary education, have his/her child admitted to the nearest primary education institution located in that area"

One or two year pre-primary education is imparted in private schools/kindergartens, and informally in government primary schools for six months.

Five-year compulsory primary education for the 6-10 age group is imparted mainly in government and non-government primary schools. In metropolitan cities, however, government and non-government primary schools cater to the educational needs mainly of the poorer sections of the people, as the better-off families usually send their children to Private English Medium schools/ secondary schools that run primary sections as well. There, however, exist some NGO-run non-formal schools catering mainly for the dropouts of the government and non-government primary schools.

Secondary Stage:

On completion of primary education, students (11+) enroll for junior secondary education that spans over 3 years. At the end of this phase, some students switch over to join the vocational stream, offered at Vocational Training Institutes (VTI) and Technical Training Centres (TTC) run by the Ministry of Education, and the Ministry of Labor and Employment respectively, while students in the mainstream continue in government and non-government secondary schools for a 2 year secondary education in their respective areas of specialization i.e. humanities, science, commerce, etc. At the end of 10^th class, the students sit for their first public examination called Secondary School Certificate (S.S.C.) examination under the supervision of seven education boards.

The students of religious education and English medium streams also sit for their respective public examinations, Dakhil and O’ level, conducted by the Madrasha Education Board and London/Cambridge University respectively.
 

Higher Secondary Stage:

After 10 years of schooling (primary and secondary), students (16+) who succeed in passing the Secondary School Certificate (S.S.C.)/Dakhil/O’ Level examination have the option of joining a college for a 2 year higher secondary education in their respective areas of specialization, or enroll in technical/ poly technical institutes for technical education. After 2-year higher secondary education, one has to sit for another public examination called Higher Secondary Certificate (H.S.C.) examination conducted by the education boards. 

Students of Religious and English Medium streams also sit for their respective public examinations, Alim and A' level, conducted by the Madrasha Education Board and London/Cambridge University respectively.
 

Higher Education:

Under-graduate education of various duration (2 to 5 years) are offered to 18+ students at a number of public and private universities / degree colleges/technical colleges/ specialized institutions. Successful completion of a degree course is a pre-requisite for appointment to a white-collar civilian job.

Post-graduate education normally of 1-2 year duration is provided at the universities and selected degree colleges and institutions.

The major higher education institutions in Bangladesh include: degree-level liberal arts colleges affiliated to a recently established affiliating university (The Bangladesh National University), publicly supported universities including a University of Engineering and Technology and Agricultural Universities, private Universities established under the Non-government Universities Act (Act 34 of 1992), autonomous institutes of technology, previously called engineering colleges, agricultural colleges,  medical colleges, dental colleges, teachers' training colleges, colleges of physical education, college of textile technology  college of leather technology.

There is, also an Open University established under Act 38 of 1992. While each of the other universities conducts its own examinations, the Bangladesh National University is responsible for conducting bachelor's and master's examinations of the affiliated degree colleges throughout the country.
 

Teaching and Examination System:

Most of the institutes follow the traditional system whereunder the students sit for the final examination at the end of the whole course of studies and evaluation is done according to marking system. But some departments of the public universities and most of the private universities follow the semester system (with grading method of evaluation) in line with the developed countries of the world. There is a probability that the semester system will be introduced in the whole of education in the near future.

Politics in Education:

Bangladesh is a multi-party democratic country. Most of the political parties have their student-wings. As a result student leaders get involved in the national politics and remotely controlled by their respective political parties. This often leads to serious unrest in the educational sector. Of late the civil society in Bangladesh has started pleading for a politics-free environment in education.