Leaders from Bangladesh’s higher education sector have called on the government to impose strict regulations on unlicensed education consultancy firms that have proliferated across the country. Speaking at a press conference organized by the Foreign Admission Career Development Consultants Association Bangladesh (FACD-CAB) at the National Press Club on Thursday, they warned that these firms, operating with only basic trade licenses, are deceiving students seeking higher education abroad.

FACD-CAB President Zulfiqar Ali Jewel said that new consultancies are emerging daily with minimal investment, endangering the future of thousands of students. He alleged that these unauthorized firms lure students with false promises of foreign education, extracting large sums of money and causing both financial and emotional harm. The association urged the government to establish a clear regulatory framework requiring official approval for operating education consultancy businesses.

Speakers at the event, including senior vice president Bashir Ahmed and Mehedi Hasan, emphasized that a specialized approval board could help curb fraudulent practices and protect students’ interests.