Madrasas have long operated as a parallel pillar of Bangladesh’s general education system. A Bangladeshi family primarily chooses between mainstream schools and madrasas for their children’s education.Historically, many families hesitated to send their kids to madrasas for social perceptions and other reasons. Yet recent education statistics reflect a shift in learning choices, as madrasa enrollment continues to grow against a broader decline in mainstream institutions.
According to the Bangladesh Education Statistics 2025, enrolment in secondary schools dropped by 4.68 percent (a loss of over 425,000 students) and college enrolment declined by 6.88 percent (a loss of nearly 339,000 students). Meanwhile, overall madrasa enrolment grew by 1.57 percent, adding roughly 43,900 students during the same timeframe. While a large portion of students left general education altogether, madrasas continued to register a steady rise in numbers. This raises an important question: why are more families turning toward madrasa education amid this broader decline in mainstream schooling?
To understand this dynamic, we have to look at the madrasa system in Bangladesh. Madrasas are primarily divided into two streams: Alia and Qawmi. Alia madrasas are state controlled and their curriculum includes mainstream subjects such as Bangla, English, Mathematics, and Science alongside religious studies. The Qawmi system operates differently, focusing mainly on Islamic studies. Many madrasas offer residential facilities, where they provide meals to students and keep them under continuous supervision. Three main factors—the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, curriculum reforms, and expanding higher education opportunities—help explain why this shift has occurred.
The COVID-19 Effect
The Covid-19 pandemic is a crucial factor in this shift. From 18 March 2020 to 12 September 2021, educational institutions in Bangladesh remained closed for 543 days, disrupting the education of nearly 37 million children, according to UNICEF and UNESCO. In the meantime, this pandemic affected families financially. According to the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS), the poverty rate increased from 20.5 percent in 2019 to 29.5 percent in 2020.Around 13 percent of previously employed people lost their jobs, according to data from the Bangladesh Institute of Development Studies (BIDS). Because of this situation, many families struggled to keep their children in mainstream schools. At the same time, Qawmi madrasas continued their activities, offering meals and residential facilities to students. This created an important distinction. A BRAC University study shows that enrolment in Qawmi, Hafizia and Nurani madrasas among children aged 5-15 increased from 7.7% in 2020 to 9.5% in 2021. Among 5-year olds, it increased from 8.5% to 9.5%, and among 11 to 15-year-olds, it went up from 5% to 6.3%. The study also shows when schools were closed, 2.1% pre-primary and primary students moved from secular schools to Qawmi, Hafizia or Nurani madrasas. These numbers show how the pandemic reshaped families’ learning choices.
Curriculum Reform
The reform of the madrasa curriculum may be another reason for parents to choose this path. Alia madrasas now compete with mainstream schools because they have shared similar textbooks since 2014, while teaching four additional religious subjects. For instance, a mainstream HSC science student sits for exams totaling 1,300 marks, whereas an Alim (madrasa) student must sit for 1,700 marks. This reform gradually helped madrasas gain more students. Bangladesh Bureau of Educational Information and Statistics (BANBEIS) data show that post-primary enrolment in Dakhil and Alim madrasas increased from 1.74 million in 2014 to 1.90 million in 2024, a rise of 9.1 percent. For years, parents had to choose between religious studies and mainstream studies. But this reform lets madrasas teach both. This made madrasa an attractive option to many families.
Higher Education
Now, the path to higher education from madrasas has become easier than before. After Alim, students can continue to Fazil and Kamil, which have created clear higher education options within the madrasa system. At the same time, madrasa students are now shining in university admission tests across the country. This became particularly noticeable in the late 2010s and early 2020s. In the 2017-2018 academic year, madrasa background students reportedly recorded their highest ever enrolment to the Dhaka University’s B unit. A major sign of this growing momentum came in 2017, when Dhaka University allowed madrasa students to apply for seven departments—including English, Bangla, and International Relations—which were previously restricted for them. Md. Zakaria, an alim graduate of Darunnazat Siddikia Kamil Madrasa, secured the first position in Dhaka University’s B Unit admission test for the 2020–2021 session. In medical colleges and top universities across Bangladesh, the representation of madrasa students has continued to rise significantly. These examples serve as inspiration for parents who are reluctant about sending their children to madrasas. This may also increase parents’ trust in madrasa education; they may feel that madrasas can also provide good future opportunities.
Apart from these major reasons, several other factors may also contribute to this preference. For example, growing religious influence in Bangladesh may have increased people’s interest in the madrasa system. Meanwhile, mainstream education in Bangladesh has become expensive; families have to think about the cost of coaching fees, transportation, books, lab fees, etc., making madrasas appear as an affordable option. The social acceptance of madrasa education has also increased in society. These factors combined may make madrasas a more accessible and attractive option for many families.
Sources:
Number of madrasa students increasing nationwide | বণিক বার্তা
Enrolment falls at schools, colleges, rises at madrassahs
Key socioeconomic issues we must address to reduce poverty | The Daily Star
13pc people lost jobs due to Covid-19 pandemic: BIDS survey | The Daily Star
School bells ring after 543 days
Madrasa student Zakaria becomes 1st in DU ‘Kha’ unit admission test
BANGLADESH EDUCATION STATISTICS 2024 (p. 250)
Education in Bangladesh during School Closure due to the Coronavirus (COVID-19) Pandemic
