Govt plans specialised blue economy university in Cox’s Bazar

The government plans 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.

The proposed institution, to be named the University of Blue Economy Science and Technology (UBEST), would focus on higher education, research, practical training and developing skilled human resources to harness the marine resources of the Bay of Bengal.

Home Minister and Cox’s Bazar-1 lawmaker Salahuddin Ahmed said the prime minister issued the directive after receiving a semi-official letter from him. He shared the information on his verified Facebook page on Monday afternoon, along with a copy of the letter sent to the prime minister.

In the letter, dated September 13, Salahuddin said Bangladesh needed specialised higher education, research, practical training and skilled human resources to fully utilise the considerable potential of marine resources in the Bay of Bengal and coastal areas.

“There is a pressing need for specialised higher education, research, practical training, and skilled human resources — domains where a considerable gap still exists,” the letter said.

It proposed establishing UBEST in Cox’s Bazar as an initiative of national importance.

BORI infrastructure proposed for university

The letter suggested using the existing facilities of the Bangladesh Oceanographic Research Institute (BORI) in Cox’s Bazar to launch the university’s initial academic and practical activities.

“Creating a fully operational new university from the ground up demands considerable time, financial resources, and dedicated infrastructure,” it said, adding that BORI’s existing infrastructure, laboratories, research facilities, scientific personnel, training environment and coastal research framework could be utilised to accelerate the process.

According to the proposal, the approach would enable the government to establish a research-focused and practical university without waiting for the development of extensive new infrastructure.

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It would also help maximise the use of existing national research facilities related to the blue economy while creating an institution capable of developing skilled professionals for the sector.

University to support marine resource management

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 was 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 could strengthen research, innovation and skilled human resources in the blue economy.

The institution could also support the government in marine resource management, coastal development, fisheries, marine spatial planning, pollution control and climate resilience, he added.