Cox’s Bazar blue economy university planned by government.
The government is planning to establish a specialised public university in Cox's Bazar dedicated to the blue economy, following a directive from Prime Minister Tarique Rahman to the Education Ministry.
Home Minister and Cox's Bazar-1 lawmaker Salahuddin Ahmed said the prime minister gave the directive after receiving a semi-official letter from him. He shared the information on his verified Facebook page on Monday afternoon, along with the letter he had sent to the prime minister.
The proposed institution, to be named University of Blue Economy Sciences and Technology, would focus on higher education, research, practical training and the cultivation of skilled human resources to effectively utilise the marine resources of the Bay of Bengal.
In the letter sent to Prime Minister Tarique Rahman on September 13, it is stated, "To fully leverage the marine resources with significant potential in Bangladesh's Bay of Bengal and coastal areas, there is a pressing need for specialized higher education, research, practical training, and skilled human resources-domains where a considerable gap still exists."
"In this context, the establishment of a specialized university called the 'University of Blue Economy Science and Technology' (UBEST) in Cox's Bazar could represent a highly important initiative in the national interest," the letter read.
The letter further elaborated, "Creating a fully operational new university from the ground up demands considerable time, financial resources, and dedicated infrastructure. Given this reality, the initial academic and practical activities of the new university could be swiftly initiated by leveraging the existing infrastructure, laboratories, research facilities, scientific personnel, training environment, and coastal research framework of the 'Bangladesh Oceanographic Research Institute (BORI)' situated in Cox's Bazar."
The letter said this strategy would facilitate the swift establishment of a research-focused, practical and realistic university without the need to wait for the development of long-term infrastructure. If this initiative is executed, it will guarantee the optimal utilisation of the existing national research infrastructure related to the blue economy while concurrently creating an effective institution to nurture skilled human resources for the sector.
When asked for his perspective on the issue, Prof Dr Md Shahadat Hossain, Dean of the Faculty of Marine Sciences and Fisheries at the University of Chattogram, told BSS that the Bay of Bengal is vital to Bangladesh's economy, biodiversity and livelihoods, making technology-driven institutional capacity essential for research and innovation.
He said the proposed university in Cox's Bazar would promote research, innovation and skilled human resources for the blue economy, while supporting the government in marine resource management, coastal development, fisheries, marine spatial planning, pollution control and climate resilience.
