Bureau of Non-Formal Education (BNFE)

About Us

Bangladesh Constitution recognizes the education as a fundamental right of every citizen and directed the State (as per Article 17) to take effective measures to “establish a uniform, mass-oriented and universal system of education and extend free and compulsory education to all children and removing illiteracy within such time as may be determined by law”. Therefore, the Government has been implementing various programmes to ensure education for all.    To fulfill the...

Bangladesh Constitution recognizes the education as a fundamental right of every citizen and directed the State (as per Article 17) to take effective measures to “establish a uniform, mass-oriented and universal system of education and extend free and compulsory education to all children and removing illiteracy within such time as may be determined by law”. Therefore, the Government has been implementing various programmes to ensure education for all.    To fulfill the Constitutional obligation, national and international commitments, the Government has established Bureau of Non-formal Education (BNFE) under revenue set up in April, 2005. This contributed a lot for management & governance of Non-Formal Education (NFE) sub-sector at the national level and resulted in the expansion of literacy in the country in an organized manner. On the other hand, to strengthen the NFE sub-sector the Government passed NFE Act 2014 by the Parliament with the objective of outlining regulations to create opportunities of life-long education, to develop life-skill through technical and vocational training, to build up skilled human resources, to create competencies for self-employment and to create alternative opportunities for the out of school and dropped out children of the deprived communities.      BNFE is the national level lead agency for NFE to provide the professional leadership to implement NFE policy framework and priorities in non-formal education as a part of overall human resource development strategy. An important task for this purpose would be to eventually develop a long-term programme approach gradually for the NFE sub sector, instead of discrete project. BNFE has been working with the mechanism for building partnership and collaboration between Government agencies, education and training providers, business and trade bodies, employers and those who can help in entrepreneurship development and marketing of products. BNFE facilitates the development and implementation of a coordinated NFE sub-sector program with support from GOs, NGOs, Civil society and Development Partners.