Dhaka, Jan. 11 -- Like millions of ordinary citizens, I am hopeful that in February 2026, our beloved motherland Bangladesh will once again witness a free, fair, and peaceful general election through which democratic governance will be restored and citizens will regain their democratic rights.

Having been deeply involved in the international education sector for over 25 years, I have closely observed how, over the past decade and a half, Bangladesh's education system has been systematically weakened. The next elected government must, therefore, make education system reform one of its highest national priorities.

This reform must not be routine or cosmetic-rather it has to be transformational, reshaping every level of the system starting...