A groundbreaking initiative has been undertaken to bring about a significant change in the election process of managing committees and governing bodies of private educational institutions in the country. Particularly, major amendments are being introduced in the method of electing presidents, which will have a notable impact on the administrative structure of educational institutions. The Ministry of Education has prepared a new draft regulation, which will come into effect upon final approval. The primary objective of this change is to make the election process more transparent and inclusive, and to entrust the responsibility of educational institutions to qualified leadership.
According to the proposed draft regulation, significant changes have been made regarding who can be candidates for the position of president in managing committees and governing bodies. Previously, the provision was to elect the president only from among the committee members, but now local education enthusiasts, social workers, public representatives, and serving or retired first-class government officials will also have the opportunity to be presidential candidates. However, a bachelor's degree or equivalent has been retained as the minimum educational qualification for the president, which stakeholders believe will help maintain educational standards. This initiative will allow experienced and educated individuals from various strata of society to directly participate in the management of educational institutions.
On September 13, 2026, a detailed discussion on this proposed regulation was held at an important meeting of the Ministry of Education. Abdul Khaleque, Secretary of the Secondary and Higher Education Division, presided over the meeting, and the attending members reviewed various aspects of the new rules. Ministry officials stated that these amendments will come into effect only after final approval from Dr. A. N. M. Ehsanul Haque Milon, Minister of Education and Primary and Mass Education. Through this discussion, efforts are underway to make the regulation more up-to-date and effective.
According to the new regulation, elections will first be held for members in various categories of the managing committee. A meeting for the election of the president must be convened within seven working days of the completion of the member election process. The designated presiding officer will chair this meeting, and the president will be elected by a majority vote of the elected members present. This method will ensure a democratic process for electing leadership from among the committee members.
A minimum attendance of two-thirds of the elected members of the managing committee has been made mandatory for the presidential election meeting, which will ensure the validity and representative nature of the election. If multiple candidates receive an equal highest number of votes, it has been proposed to elect the president through a lottery, which will keep the process impartial. Furthermore, if the president's post becomes vacant due to resignation, death, or any other reason, a provision has been made to elect a new president within a maximum of seven working days, to prevent any stagnation in the activities of the educational institution.
It has been decided to retain a bachelor's degree or equivalent as the educational qualification for the president. This qualification was stipulated in the amended regulation of 2025, and the proposed regulation of 2026 also states the retention of the same qualification. This makes it mandatory to have a minimum bachelor's degree or equivalent from a recognized university, which is expected to ensure qualified and educated leadership in the top positions of educational institutions.
Some restrictions have also been included in the proposed regulation. No teacher or employee working in an educational institution can be the president of a managing committee. Furthermore, the same person cannot be the president of more than two private educational institutions of the same type, and more than three of term-based types. These provisions will prevent the concentration of power in one person's hands and provide opportunities for a greater number of qualified individuals to lead.
Significant changes have also been proposed for the nomination of governing body presidents. The 2024 regulation had a provision to propose three names from among local public representatives, retired first-class officials, educationists, and renowned social workers, based on discussions with the local Member of Parliament. The amended 2025 regulation introduced a provision for discussion with the Divisional Commissioner or Deputy Commissioner, as applicable, allowing for three names to be proposed from specific categories of individuals, including officials working in government, semi-government, or autonomous institutions, associate professors or professors of public universities or government colleges, and founders of the respective educational institutions. However, the proposed 2026 regulation suggests sending three names and full curricula vitae from among officials and employees working in government, semi-government, or autonomous institutions, and renowned social workers for the post of governing body president. The order of names in the proposed list will in no way be considered as priority.
The proposed draft regulation also mentions the annulment of some powers of the elected president of the managing committee and governing body. Among these is the power to appoint the head of the institution and assistant head. It is hoped that annulling this power will reduce the president's sole influence in the appointment process and make it more transparent and impartial. These changes are considered a major step towards making the administrative structure of educational institutions overall stronger, more accountable, and modern.
