Additionally, in the eight months before the uprising, three applications were made to upgrade a Dakhil madrasah to an Alim madrasah. In the following eight months, this number increased to 12.

From 2011 to 2023, 54 new madrasahs were established, 10 of which were established between 2021 and 2023. After the August 5 uprising, at least 82 new madrasahs were granted permission to start operations based on various applications made before and after the uprising.

Before granting permission to any new educational institution, the relevant education board measures the distance to the nearest educational institution based on a GPS map. The Bureau of Educational Information and Statistics (BANBEIS) provides these GPS maps, per the education boards’ demand. BANBEIS has provided GPS maps for 103 institutions in the past four months. Among them, 82 are madrasahs, with 58 applications made after the uprising. Additionally, 21 applications for general institutions were submitted, all under the Mymensingh Education Board.

Education officials in the madrasah sector say that before the uprising, madrasah students faced various forms of discrimination. They were often linked to different political identities. After the uprising, these fears diminished, leading to increased interest in establishing new madrasahs.

Professor Mohammad Ashraful Kabir has been teaching for a long time. He currently works at Government Madrasah-E-Alia. He told Bonik Barta, “I believe the main factor behind the increase in new madrasahs is the change in social perspective. Earlier, madrasah students faced social discrimination and were often discriminated against in the job market. Additionally, they were sometimes unfairly labeled with political tags. As a result, many parents, even if they wanted to send their children to madrasahs, had some hesitation. But now, this situation has changed. Madrasah students no longer face the fear of social or job market discrimination. Parents also consider the environment of the educational institutions. Madrasahs do not have issues like students smoking or getting involved with drugs. Along with general education, students also receive proper religious education. These factors have led to an increase in the demand for madrasahs.”

According to BANBEIS education statistics for 2023, there are currently 9,256 madrasahs in the country. Between 2011 and 2023, 54 madrasahs were established. Of these, 44 were established in the 10 years leading up to 2020. By 2023, 10 new madrasahs were established.

On the condition of anonymity, a madrasah education board official said, “Until 2023, a significant number of applications for new madrasahs were submitted. However, they didn’t yield very positive results. In 2024, the number of new madrasah applications was very low. But after the uprising, this trend has changed. Many new applications have been submitted, and the board is quickly taking necessary steps, such as verifying the population in the relevant areas and checking the distance to nearby madrasahs in the catchment area.”

According to BANBEIS data, the number of madrasahs and the number of madrasah students has significantly increased in recent years. In particular, the number of madrasah students has steadily increased after the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2023, the number of students enrolled in madrasahs was 4,126,626, the highest in two decades.

Dr. Hafizur Rahman, a professor at the Institute of Education and Research, Dhaka University, told Bonik Barta, “After the pandemic, we saw a significant increase in interest in madrasah education. Two main factors contributed to this. One is that madrasahs were closed for a shorter time compared to general schools, and the other is the higher educational expenses in general schools. During the pandemic, many families lost their breadwinners and fell into poverty. Usually, these families sent their children to madrasahs in rural areas.”

“Although the number of madrasah students has increased, there was social discrimination against madrasah education in the past. After August 5, this situation has changed. As a result, parents’ interest in madrasah education has increased, and there has also been a rise in the establishment of new madrasahs,” he added.

The country has two main types of madrasah education: Alia and Qawmi. Alia madrasahs offer religious education alongside the mainstream curriculum. To establish a new Alia madrasah, one must follow government regulations, and BANBEIS updates data on these madrasahs every year. On the other hand, no specific data is available for Qawmi madrasahs, and there are no clear policies for establishing them. Currently, Qawmi madrasah education is managed under six different boards. According to officials from these boards, the number of Qawmi madrasahs has significantly increased after the uprising.

Education experts say government regulations and monitoring are essential when establishing educational institutions. Rasheda K. Chowdhury, a former adviser to the caretaker government and executive director of the Campaign for Popular Education, told Bonik Barta, “Interest in general education is declining due to factors like long holidays. However, a key issue with madrasah education is insufficient government monitoring and clear policies. This needs to be addressed. All educational institutions should fall under the government’s specific policies and monitoring. At the same time, measures should be taken to ensure that students do not face discrimination and receive quality education. At least, there should be a standard level of education in all institutions.”

When asked about the overall situation, Md Nasimul Islam, a madrasah inspector at the Bangladesh Madrasah Education Board, said, “While the number of students enrolling in madrasahs has increased, the number of candidates appearing for the Dakhil exams has decreased in recent years compared to 2018-19. One reason for this is that madrasah graduates often did not receive proper recognition. Now, the situation has changed, which is why there has been an increase in applications for new madrasahs. However, it is not guaranteed that any institution that applies will automatically receive approval. We will review all the regulations and only grant permission if the institution meets all the requirements.”