Enrolment of foreign students in Bangladesh’s private medical colleges has declined sharply over the past three years, raising concerns about the sector’s competitiveness and the country’s position as a destination for medical education.Admissions of foreign students dropped to 1,098 in the 2025-26 academic session from 2,074 in 2022-23 — a decline of nearly 50 percent, according to health ministry data.The fall has been driven primarily by a decrease in the number of Indian students, who traditionally make up more than two-thirds of foreign students in Bangladesh’s private medical colleges, said officials and college owners, citing strains in Bangladesh-India ties following the 2024 political changeover.
Other contributing factors are a lack of international recognition of the country’s medical education accreditation system, a sharp reduction in fees at Indian private medical colleges, and an increase in admission capacity of medical colleges in India, they said.
