Bangladesh clears UNICEF-run education plan for Rohingya children
Government clears $18.45 million World Bank–funded plan to provide primary education in Myanmar language for displaced Rohingya children
DHAKA, Bangladesh (MNTV) — The Bangladesh government has approved a plan to procure education services through UNICEF to expand pre-primary and primary education for Rohingya children living in refugee settlements across southeastern Bangladesh.
The program, valued at $18.45 million, will be financed through a World Bank grant and implemented over three years, according to officials familiar with the decision.
Approval was granted on Tuesday by the government’s public procurement oversight body following a proposal submitted by the Ministry of Primary and Mass Education. The funding will be used to deliver structured education services for Rohingya children residing in camps in Cox’s Bazar district, Bandarban district, and on Bhasan Char, a remote island in the Bay of Bengal.
The project forms part of a broader education initiative aimed at improving learning outcomes for both host communities and forcibly displaced Myanmar nationals. Officials said the program will focus on basic literacy, numeracy and life skills, with instruction delivered in the Myanmar language to ensure accessibility for Rohingya students.
UNICEF was selected under a single-source procurement process, a decision authorities said was aligned with conditions attached to the World Bank’s grant financing. The proposal was jointly reviewed and negotiated by Bangladesh’s Directorate of Primary Education and the World Bank’s education team before receiving final approval.
Under the agreement, the World Bank will directly disburse the full amount to UNICEF in U.S. dollars, bypassing government treasury channels.Officials said the program is expected to provide education support to more than 256,000 Rohingya children, making it one of the largest formal education initiatives for displaced populations in Bangladesh.
To deliver the services, UNICEF will recruit and train over 7,800 volunteer teachers in phases, beginning with more than 4,000 instructors in the first year. Teachers will receive stipends under rates set by the project framework.
Bangladesh hosts more than one million Rohingya refugees who fled military operations in Myanmar’s Rakhine State beginning in 2017. While the country has allowed humanitarian education programs, formal schooling pathways for refugee children remain limited, with international agencies playing a central role in service delivery.
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