Amidst the growing need for peace education in Bangladesh’s educational field, an international peace NGO, HWPL, held the Bangladesh Peace Education Cooperation Online Forum on January 31 to explore the expansion of peace education through collaboration between educational institutions. The forum brought together educators and civil society stakeholders to discuss how the values of non-violence, mutual respect, cooperation, and responsibility could be applied in the educational setting.

In recent years, Bangladesh has made rapid progress in economic growth and social development, with its youthful population and active investment in education being key factors for the country’s significant potential. The country’s society, where various cultures and religions coexist, is actively nurturing talented individuals through education.
However, due to political differences, social imbalances, and generational gaps in perception, tensions and conflicts also persist throughout society. As a result, the importance of peace education at the school and community level is gradually being recognized. Against this backdrop, the forum was organized as a platform to discuss how education can ease social conflicts and strengthen the peace capabilities of future generations.

Mohammad Farid Hossain Molla, the Principal of Jangir High School, expressed his willingness to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for cooperation between educational institutions. Following this forum, HWPL and Jangir High School signed an MOU to strengthen their cooperation in peace education.

Roushanara Begum, a teacher from Skylark Model School, expressed gratitude for being invited to the event, stating, “I am thankful for the invitation and would like to introduce a peace campaign at our school to help students directly experience peace.” She also mentioned plans for a follow-up meeting to further this initiative.

Stephen Soren, Director of the National Agency of Green Revolution (NAGR) of Bangladesh, also shared that his organization is currently running peace education and interfaith harmony projects and believes that collaboration with other institutions is necessary to expand these efforts. He mentioned plans to sign an MOU and implement joint peace education projects for continued cooperation.

Meanwhile, A.K.M. Reazul Hassan, former chairman of the National Curriculum and Textbook Board (NCTB) of Bangladesh, emphasized the importance of peace education at the national level.

Participants of the forum plan to expand peace education to schools and communities and establish a sustainable peace education model centered on students through collaboration among educational institutions.