This piece is a rebuttal critically examining the article titled “We need education reforms that actually work,” published in The Daily Star on March 15, 2026. Dr Manzoor Ahmed’s evaluation of recent education reforms in Bangladesh contains assumptions and analyses without adequate research evidence.

Few aspects shape a nation’s future as profoundly as what it teaches its children. That is why Education Minister ANM Ehsanul Hoque Milon’s pledge to revise textbooks with the help of “high-quality experts,” and without any party consideration, carries particular significance.

Says teachers’ demands to be addressed through proper channels

Bangladesh, by default, has designed inequality in education through its multiple streams.

The education that a child can acquire is currently a matter of how much his/her family can pay.

Authorities must ensure that poorer students are not left behind

Our education decision-makers have a narrative that largely denies any serious deficiency in the system.

The PEC and JSC exams have economic repercussions, too.

In Bangladesh, although primary education is free and the government provides the textbooks, more than 4.3 million children aged 6-15 years are not in school.