Why are foreign students turning away from Bangladesh’s medical colleges?

Hanjabam Dhanaraj Sharma was in the ninth grade when he first visited Bangladesh. His elder sister, Hanjabam Deepa, had secured admission to TMSS Medical College in Bogura. The entire family had traveled from Manipur, India to drop her off. Deepa completed her MBBS in 2024 and now Dhanaraj is a final-year student at the same institution.

“Getting into a government medical college back home is extremely difficult,” Dhanaraj said. “The cost of private medical education there is nearly double compared to here. Moreover, the curriculum in Bangladesh is very similar to ours, the distance is short and the language is easy to pick up. That’s why I chose this country.”

Dhanaraj, who has been studying in Bangladesh since 2022, noted that he has never felt unsafe. “Sometimes relatives get worried after seeing the news or social media. They call and say they’ve heard a lot is happening here. But I’ve always felt safe. My Bangladeshi friends are here, so there’s nothing to fear,” he said.

Like Dhanaraj, many foreign students enroll in medical and dental colleges in Bangladesh every year. A large portion of them are from India and Nepal. Additionally, students from Bhutan, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Maldives and Palestine come to Bangladesh to study medicine. Some also come from the United States, Canada and Australia, though they are primarily expatriate Bangladeshis.

Foreign students walking through medical college corridors and speaking to patients in broken Bangla is now a common sight at many institutions across the country. However, inquiries have found that the number of foreign students enrolled in medical colleges has declined over the past two years.

In 2019, Bhutan’s then-Prime Minister Lotay Tshering visited Bangladesh on a state visit. An alumnus of Mymensingh Medical College, he surprised everyone by delivering a speech in Bangla during a visit to his former institution.

Like Lotay Tshering, foreign students gain admission to Bangladesh’s government medical and dental colleges primarily through SAARC and non-SAARC quotas. Every year, between 220 and 226 seats are allocated under these quotas. The admission circular for the 2025-26 academic year shows that 125 seats were reserved for SAARC countries and 99 for non-SAARC nations.

However, not all candidates who received offers enrolled, so there is no definitive figure for the total number of foreign students admitted to public medical colleges last year.

Bangladesh has 37 public medical colleges, though not all of them enrol foreign students. The institutions with the highest foreign enrollment include Dhaka Medical College, Sir Salimullah Medical College, Sylhet MAG Osmani Medical College, Chattogram Medical College, Rajshahi Medical College and Mymensingh Medical College.

Professor Dr. Faruk Ahammed, Additional Director General (Administration) of the Directorate General of Medical Education (DGME), recently shared his insights. Ahammed, who also briefly served as the acting principal of Dhaka Medical College earlier this year, said, "During my tenure, I held a meeting with all foreign students to hear their concerns. Some mentioned issues regarding accommodation, food and sanitation. We are always sincere and attentive to the needs of our foreign students."

Under the SAARC quota, seats are allocated separately for each member country. This year, MBBS seats included 22 for India, 21 for Pakistan, 19 for Nepal, 13 for Sri Lanka, 28 for Bhutan, six for the Maldives and three for Afghanistan. Under the non-SAARC quota, 72 MBBS seats were allocated for Myanmar, Palestine and other countries. Another 40 seats under both quotas were reserved for dental programmes.

Bangladesh also attracts many foreign students for postgraduate medical studies. Dr. Ram Sagar Shah from Nepal is currently pursuing higher studies in Neonatology at Bangladesh Medical University (formerly BSMMU). "I first enrolled at USTC Medical College in Chattogram in 2009. After finishing my MBBS, I returned home but I came back to Bangladesh for post-graduation because of the opportunity to specialize directly in Neonatology and my familiarity with the language," he said.

Nepalese students consistently perform well in Bangladeshi medical colleges. Last year, Stuti Rimal from Nepal, a student at Dhaka Medical College, ranked among the top 10 in the national MBBS final examinations. In an interview with ‘Swapno Niye,’ Stuti remarked, "Unless I speak, no one can tell that I’m not Bangladeshi."

Several foreign students studying at private medical colleges in Bangladesh said they chose the country because of its comparatively lower costs, the option to pay tuition fees in instalments, the relative ease of learning the language and similarities between Bangladesh’s medical curriculum and that of their home countries.

According to the data from the Directorate General of Medical Education (DGME), foreign students regularly enroll in at least 60 of the country’s 68 private medical colleges. Prominent institutions with high foreign student populations include Enam Medical College (Savar), East-West Medical College (Dhaka), International Medical College (Gazipur), TMSS Medical College (Bogura), Community Based Medical College (Mymensingh), Khwaja Yunus Ali Medical College (Sirajganj), Eastern Medical College (Cumilla) and Rangpur Community Medical College.

A DGME list tracking foreign student enrollment from 2020 to 2025 shows a significant post-pandemic surge followed by a recent decline. In the 2020-21 academic year, 1,747 foreign students enrolled in private medical colleges.

This number rose to 2,012 and 2,096 in the following two years. However, enrolment began to decline from the 2023–24 academic year, when 1,669 foreign students enrolled. The number fell further to 1,187 the following year.

While specific data for the 2025-26 academic year is not yet finalised, Professor Rubina Yasmin, Additional Director General (Medical Education) at the DGME, confirmed that numbers have continued to fall. "I have overseen two admission cycles since joining the DGME. While last year had a fair turnout, we have received even fewer foreign students this time," she said.

Yasmin noted that while seats for foreign students in government colleges are generally filled, private institutions are struggling to maintain their previous numbers. "The Bangladesh Private Medical College Association (BPMCA) is taking various initiatives to address this and we are providing our full support," she added.

Foreign students in government colleges under the non-SAARC quota pay an annual tuition fee of $5,000, totaling $25,000 over five years. In private colleges, the total cost ranges between $35,000 and $45,000, depending on the institution, making the sector a significant source of foreign exchange for the country.

Why is the number of foreign medical students in Bangladesh falling? Global economic conditions, the appreciation of the US dollar, strained diplomatic ties with India and the political instability following the events of 2024 are the most obvious reasons. However, discussions with stakeholders suggest there are other reasons as well.

Over the past few years, opportunities to study medicine have expanded in Nepal and the Maldives. Foreign students usually come to Bangladesh through recruitment agencies that also arrange admissions in countries such as Russia and China. Taking advantage of Bangladesh’s political uncertainty, these agencies have become more active, encouraging students from India, Nepal and neighbouring countries to choose alternative destinations.

Until a few years ago, a significant number of students from the Maldives came to Bangladesh for medical education. Many now opt to study in China, Russia or Malaysia, although they still come to Bangladesh for internships. Under bilateral arrangements, around 150 Maldivian students are offered free internship opportunities each year at Bangladesh’s public medical colleges.

The Bangladesh Private Medical College Association (BPMCA) is working on several initiatives to encourage these students to complete their entire degree in Bangladesh. "Last year, we organized medical education fairs in the Maldives and Nepal. This year, we plan to hold fairs in Indonesia, Malaysia and Sri Lanka," said Professor Moazzem Hossain, General Secretary of the BPMCA.

He noted that Bangladesh even attracts students from as far away as South Africa, who could be further encouraged to join the medical sector. "But we cannot just talk about education. We need to market and brand the country as a whole," he added.