Study in Dhaka, Bangladesh

About Dhaka

Dhaka is the capital of Bangladesh and the country's main centre of government, business and higher education. Bangla is the official language and the currency is the taka (Tk). For international students the city is above all a place to take a degree in engineering, computing or business at one of its many private universities, at moderate living costs.

The city is large, crowded and busy, and daily life takes some planning: where you live in relation to your campus matters more here than in most capitals.

Studying in Dhaka

Higher education in Bangladesh is overseen by the University Grants Commission (UGC), which publishes official lists of approved universities. Its public list has 61 entries, starting with the University of Dhaka; the Bangladesh University of Engineering & Technology (BUET) is also on it. The private list runs to 117 entries, a few of them with restrictions noted by the commission, so it is worth checking that a university and its campus are approved before applying.

Our directory lists four universities in the Dhaka area, all of them broad institutions with engineering, science and business programmes:

• Ahsanullah University of Science & Technology (AUST), founded in 1995 by the Dhaka Ahsania Mission, in Tejgaon. According to the university, it was the first private university in Bangladesh to receive a permanent charter from the government. Its programmes range from civil engineering and computer science to architecture and business.
• United International University (UIU), approved by the Ministry of Education in 2003, with its campus at United City in Badda. It offers 12 undergraduate programmes in four schools and has its own office for international students.
• Jahangirnagar University, a public university in Savar, on the edge of Dhaka. It teaches in faculties of arts and humanities, mathematical and physical sciences, social sciences, biological sciences, business studies and law.
• Stamford University Bangladesh, a private university with its campus in Siddeswari, in the centre of the city.

Private universities such as UIU accept international applicants by email: you send your documents, receive an offer letter and then apply for a visa. UIU asks for 12 years of schooling for a bachelor's programme, or a bachelor's degree for a graduate programme, and TOEFL or IELTS scores (at least IELTS 6.0) if your previous studies were not in English. International students at UIU must have health insurance, and the university gives them a 25% scholarship at admission.

Student visa

Foreign students need a student visa. You apply online at visa.gov.bd, and the visa is issued through the Bangladesh embassy or high commission in your country. According to the Bangladesh High Commission in London, a student visa is issued for at most one year with multiple entries, and the fee depends on your nationality. Once in Dhaka, you extend the visa every year at the Department of Immigration and Passports; your university's international office provides the letters you need.

Cost of living for students

UIU's international office estimates monthly living costs in Dhaka, excluding tuition fees, at between Tk 10,825 and Tk 28,925 in 2026. The lower figure assumes a place in the university hostel with three meals a day; the higher one assumes a shared private flat (rent about Tk 10,000 plus utilities, service charge and food), restaurant meals and ride-hailing. Local transport costs about Tk 2,000 a month by bus or rickshaw and about Tk 5,000 by Uber or CNG (auto-rickshaw). Budget also for the yearly visa extension fee.

Getting around and daily life

Traffic is the main practical issue. Living close to campus saves a lot of time, and some universities run their own transport: UIU, for example, offers international students a free shuttle between Notun Bazar and its campus. Dhaka's first metro line, built by the state-owned Dhaka Mass Transit Company (DMTCL), runs on a viaduct from Uttara in the north via Agargaon to Motijheel. Buses, rickshaws, CNGs and ride-hailing apps cover the rest of the city.

Frequently asked questions

Are universities in Dhaka taught in English?

Bangla is the official language, but many private universities teach their programmes in English. UIU, for example, asks international applicants for TOEFL or IELTS scores if their previous studies were not in English.

How much does a month in Dhaka cost for a student?

UIU's international office puts monthly living costs, excluding tuition, at Tk 10,825 to Tk 28,925, depending mainly on whether you live in a university hostel or a private flat.

Do I need a visa to study in Dhaka?

Yes. You apply online at visa.gov.bd and collect the visa from the Bangladesh embassy in your country; it is issued for up to one year and must be extended every year in Dhaka.

How can I check that a university is approved?

The University Grants Commission of Bangladesh publishes lists of approved public and private universities, with notes on any restrictions.