Dhaka University (DU) has officially lifted its ban on admitting students from Pakistan, marking a significant policy shift aimed at fostering academic cooperation between the two nations.
The decision was made during a syndicate meeting chaired by Vice-Chancellor Professor Niaz Ahmad Khan on 13 November, said Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Admin) Prof Sayma Haque Bidisha.
Under the revised policy, Pakistani students will be allowed to enroll at Dhaka University, and Bangladeshi students will also have the opportunity to pursue higher education in Pakistan.
University officials expect that the move will strengthen collaboration in education, culture and other areas of mutual interest.
Explaining the decision, Prof Bidisha said that while ties with Pakistan had been severed in the past, the university recognised its responsibility as an academic institution to facilitate opportunities for students.
“At one point, ties with Pakistan were cut, but Dhaka University is an academic institution. Many of our students need to visit Pakistan for scholarships or academic conferences. We resolved this issue through discussion to restore normal relations,” she said.
The decision was made purely from an academic perspective and did not involve any discussions on sensitive political matters, such as Pakistan’s denial of the 1971 genocide. “This is about academic cooperation, not political dialogue,” Bidisha added.
The ban had been in place since December 2015, when an emergency syndicate meeting led by then-Vice-Chancellor Prof AAMS Arefin Siddique imposed the restriction.
The move followed Pakistan’s refusal to acknowledge the genocide and atrocities committed during Bangladesh’s Liberation War in 1971.
At the time, Prof Arefin Siddique said, “As long as they do not acknowledge the genocide and atrocities, this institution will not maintain any relationship with them. Our students will not go to Pakistan for higher education, nor will we admit any of their students.”
The recent policy shift comes after a significant diplomatic gesture in September 2024, when Pakistan’s High Commissioner to Bangladesh, Syed Ahmed Maroof, met DU Vice-Chancellor Prof Niaz Ahmad Chowdhury. It was the first such visit in nearly a decade and is seen as paving the way for renewed academic ties.
The syndicate meeting, which approved the decision, was attended by Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Education) Prof Mamun Ahmed and other members of the university administration.
