A joint commitment to establish a stable, inclusive, innovative, and globally accepted higher education system in South Asia was expressed through the adoption of the 'Dhaka Declaration' on higher education. The declaration identifies sustained political commitment, strong institutional leadership, effective regional cooperation, and collective participation of all stakeholders as essential elements for meaningful and sustainable transformation of higher education.

The declaration was adopted on Thursday, the closing day of a four-day conference titled 'Current Status and Future Directions of South Asian Regional Higher Education' held in Dhaka. It was read out by Professor Dr. Mohammad Tanzimuddin Khan, a member of the University Grants Commission (UGC) of Bangladesh, and was unanimously accepted by the participants without objection.

The event was attended by UGC Chairman Professor Dr. SMA Faiz, several UGC members, and representatives from higher education bodies of Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Maldives, and Nepal, along with officials from the World Bank and the Higher Education Transformation project.