4-Year Honors Programs Must Be Completed Within Four Years: Education Minister

Education and Primary & Mass Education Minister Dr. A N M Ehsanul Hoque Milon today stated that university authorities must ensure four-year honors courses are completed strictly within the designated four-year timeframe to prevent student session jams.

The Minister was speaking as the chief guest during an exchange meeting held on Tuesday (June 23) at the Chattogram College Auditorium. The session was organized with center-in-charge officers under the Chattogram Education Board, as well as Madrasah and Technical Education Boards of the Chattogram region, ahead of the upcoming HSC and equivalent examinations of 2026.

Dr. Milon emphasized that structural reforms are urgent to ensure that students do not face unexpected delays or waste valuable years during their academic life.

"Changes must be brought to our country's education sector so that the valuable time of our students is not wasted. We have already announced the exam schedules for the 2027 SSC and HSC examinations well in advance so that students can prepare thoroughly. Following this, we will also synchronize the university admission process. There is no alternative to quality changes in education, which requires finishing four-year university courses within four years." — Dr. A N M Ehsanul Hoque Milon, Education Minister

The Minister reminded the audience that teachers play an immeasurable role in nation-building, urging them to act with the highest degree of responsibility and self-motivation to earn community respect while shaping the next generation.

Addressing the center secretaries, the Education Minister noted that the methods of academic malpractice have significantly evolved over time. He warned that many candidates now attempt to cheat using various digital and electronic devices, requiring center heads to stay exceptionally vigilant to conduct completely transparent public examinations.

Dr. Milon added that effective educational policies could serve as a powerful tool to unify the entire country. To achieve this, he noted that extensive educational development works must be implemented in the hilly Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) region, bringing it on par with the rest of Bangladesh.

The high-profile exchange meeting was chaired by Professor Abdullah Al Mamun Chowdhury, Chairman of the Secondary and Higher Secondary Education Board, Chattogram. State Minister for Land and Chittagong Hill Tracts Affairs Barrister Mir Mohammad Helal Uddin and Chattogram City Corporation (CCC) Mayor Dr. Shahadat Hossain were also present as special guests.