When a Nation’s Future Walks Away

Every year, tens of thousands of young Bangladeshis pack their bags and leave. Not for a vacation. For good. The numbers tell a story that should shake every policymaker in the country. More students are leaving Bangladesh for overseas education than ever before. The growth has been dramatic, and the trend shows no sign of slowing down. Over the past fifteen years, the number of students going abroad has more than tripled. But here is what should stop every policymaker in their tracks: less than one in five of these students come back permanently. This is not just a student problem. This is a national crisis wearing a graduation gown.

The Money Leaving the Country
Let us talk about money, because money is what makes this real. Every year, Bangladeshi families send hundreds of millions of dollars abroad to cover education expenses. In one recent fiscal year alone, nearly US$900 million went abroad through banking channels. That is more than Tk10,000 crore.

To put this in perspective, this amount exceeds the total allocation that the University Grants Commission provides to all public universities in Bangladesh combined. In other words, families are now sending more money abroad for education than the government spends on higher education at home.

The increase has been staggering. Just five years ago, the figure was around two hundred million dollars. It has more than tripled in that short period. If this trajectory continues, the country will soon be sending over a billion dollars abroad every year for education alone.

 Research and technological advancement are essential for national development. But when talented students remain abroad, Bangladesh falls behind in innovation. The lack of skilled human resources hinders industrial and technological progress. The country's most capable minds end up contributing to the economies of other nations. 

Why Are They Leaving?
The answer is uncomfortable but simple: they do not see a future here.

Education policymakers have gradually fallen behind in creating sufficient opportunities and facilities for students. Quality education has not expanded at the pace needed, and the connection between education and employment remains weak. The result is educated unemployment, with graduates competing for government jobs or preparing for language tests to seek opportunities abroad. For many, a degree from a Bangladeshi university no longer guarantees a livelihood. “I love my country, but it doesn’t love me back,” said one business graduate preparing to move to Australia. That sentiment echoes in thousands of homes across the country.

The Human Cost behind the Numbers
Behind every statistic is a family selling land, gold, or savings bonds. Parents take loans they cannot afford. Consultancies promise dreams and deliver nightmares.
The consultancy industry is virtually unregulated. There is no mandatory government licensing system. Anyone with a trade licence can call themselves an education consultant. Thousands of consultancy firms operate in Dhaka alone, but only a fraction is properly registered. The industry's annual turnover runs into thousands of crores of taka.

Students pay thousands to tens of thousands of taka in fees, with hidden costs emerging later. Some pay exorbitant amounts for fake documents and false promises. They end up at unaccredited institutions, take on part-time jobs to survive, and begin repaying family debts before they have even completed their studies. Hundreds of Bangladeshi students recently faced financial instability and mental distress in other countries after their dreams turned into nightmares.

This is not ambition. This is desperation dressed as opportunity.

The Brain Drain Nobody Talks about
The government invests heavily in education. It spends significant amounts on each student at premier institutions like BUET and medical colleges. When these students leave and do not return, that investment yields nothing for Bangladesh.

Research and technological advancement are essential for national development. But when talented students remain abroad, Bangladesh falls behind in innovation. The lack of skilled human resources hinders industrial and technological progress. The country's most capable minds end up contributing to the 
economies of other nations.

Some of Bangladesh’s neighbours, by contrast, attract back a substantial majority of their academic diaspora. They welcome returning intellectuals with robust financial incentives, research funding, and state-of-the-art facilities. Bangladesh offers lecturer positions with initial salaries that are not competitive internationally. Research investment remains a tiny fraction of GDP, compared to much higher percentages in developed nations like South Korea and China. When a scholar with a PhD from a world-class university cannot find a transparent path back into Bangladeshi academia, the problem is not the scholar. The problem is the system.

What Needs to Change
Stopping students from leaving is not the solution. The solution is making them want to come back. Expand the capacity and quality of domestic institutions. Connect education with employment. Create well-paying jobs and expand research fields. Offer meaningful incentives for returnees. Establish modern laboratories and ensure qualified faculty. Regulate the consultancy industry to protect families from exploitation.

The money is leaving. The talent is leaving. The future is leaving. The question is not whether we can afford to keep our students at home. The question is whether we can afford to lose them forever.