In Bangladesh, 68.91 per cent students passed Higher Secondary Certificate and equivalent exams under eight general education boards, one technical education board and one madrasa education board.
A total of 1,163,370 candidates appeared in the HSC exam under 10 education boards. 37,969 candidates secured the maximum Grade Point Average (GPA)-5 this year.
The combined pass rate under all the 10 education boards, including madrasa and technical boards, declined from 74.7 per cent last year to 68.91 per cent this year, resulting in a decline in the number GPA-5 achievers, i.e. from 58,276 to 37,969.
According to the experts, the effort to standardise the evaluation system of answer scripts and students' bad performance in English papers caused the reduced pass rate in this year's HSC examination.
Bangladesh HEIs indicate capacity crunch at home, but this is an opportunity for UK HEIs.
Like previous years Bangladesh will struggle to keep up with the high demand for higher education. Demand for an overseas education is being fuelled by a supply-demand gap at home, but also by persistent quality issues in Bangladeshi higher education and by corresponding issues of employability. Though the total pass rate declined this year, there will be a gap for potential students to get enrolled in local HEIs in desired subject areas. Thereby, this is a potential opportunity for UK HEIs which they must take advantage of.