Education and Primary and Mass Education Minister ANM Ehsanul Haque Milon has dismissed reports that honours programmes in Bangla, History and Philosophy are being removed from higher education institutions, describing the claims as “completely baseless.”
Speaking to reporters after an ECNEC meeting at the Secretariat on Tuesday, the education minister said no decision had been taken to drop the subjects.
Earlier, the Ministry of Education had also rejected the reports, telling Dhaka Tribune that the information was incorrect.
Responding to questions from journalists, the minister said discussions are ongoing about introducing academic programmes that better reflect current job market demands.
“Subjects that are in demand in today’s job market are under consideration and will be reviewed before any inclusion,” he said, stressing that honours courses in Bangla, History and Philosophy will remain in place.
Milon also said several issues concerning the Madrasa Education Board were discussed at the ECNEC meeting, including a proposal to establish multimedia classrooms.
The ministry had earlier denied media reports suggesting that six honours subjects, including Bangla, History and Philosophy, would be phased out and replaced by technology-oriented disciplines.
Addressing the speculation, Zahirul Islam, joint secretary (College Wing) of the Secondary and Higher Education Division, questioned the credibility of the reports.
“What would remain if Bangla were removed? If these six subjects were abolished, what would be left? I do not know where such claims originated. Can anyone realistically eliminate these subjects?” he said.
Recent media reports claimed that the government was preparing reforms aimed at making higher education more employment-oriented. According to those reports, a draft proposal envisaged discontinuing honours programmes in several traditional disciplines, including Bangla, History and Philosophy, while expanding technology and skills-based education.
The reports further suggested that subjects such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), Cybersecurity, Outsourcing and other technology-driven fields would be introduced to strengthen the link between education and employment. They also claimed that freelancing training, career centres and instruction in seven foreign languages would be incorporated into the education system.
The reports quickly gained traction on social media, triggering widespread debate and criticism over the alleged plan to replace traditional humanities disciplines with technology-focused subjects.