The Bangladesh government has initiated steps to dissolve the University Grants Commission (UGC) and establish a new Higher Education Commission under a draft ordinance titled the Bangladesh Higher Education Commission Ordinance, 2025. The Ministry of Education has sought stakeholder feedback within 30 working days from December 10, 2025, before finalizing the proposal. The draft outlines that the new commission will be a statutory body with expanded authority, legal personality, and the ability to operate independently from ministerial bureaucracy.

According to the draft, the commission will consist of a chairman, eight commissioners, and ten part-time members, with the chairman holding a rank equivalent to a cabinet minister. The initiative, developed by a nine-member UGC team led by Professor Mohammad Tanzimuddin Khan, aims to free higher education from bureaucratic constraints and enhance institutional autonomy. Educationists have expressed mixed reactions, praising the government’s intent but warning that excessive centralization could threaten university autonomy and academic freedom.

Stakeholders have urged that the final version be shaped through broad consultation and implemented transparently to strengthen higher education governance rather than deepen bureaucratic control.