Ahammad Parvej Khan
A fellowship in Korea does not end when the participant returns home. It continues in the institutions of Bangladesh, where alumni put new knowledge into practice. On Thursday evening, that community came together to celebrate what it has built.
The KOICA Bangladesh Office, in collaboration with the KOICA Bangladesh Alumni Association (KBAA), hosted Alumni Night 2026 at Sheraton Dhaka. The gathering brought together alumni, senior government officials, representatives of the Republic of Korea and development partners.
Zonayed Abdur Rahim Saki, State Minister, Ministry of Planning, attended as the Chief Guest, and H.E. Kim Ji-joon, Ambassador of the Republic of Korea to Bangladesh, attended as a distinguished guest. The event was led by Jihoon Kim, Country Director, KOICA Bangladesh.
The event was supported by the KBAA Executive Committee, including Md. Saifullah Panna, President, KBAA and Secretary (Attached), Ministry of Public Administration; Nazma Mobarek, Vice President, KBAA and Secretary, Financial Institutions Division, Ministry of Finance; and Md. Forhad Siddique, General Secretary, KBAA and Inspector General (Additional Secretary), Department of Inspection for Factories and Establishments, Ministry of Labour and Employment.
The Executive Committee played an important role in facilitating alumni participation and strengthening engagement across the KBAA network.
Praising the association, the State Minister said, "I warmly congratulate the KOICA Bangladesh Alumni Association on this wonderful Alumni Night. Your dedication to sharing what you learned in Korea with your institutions and the next generation is truly commendable, and I sincerely appreciate KBAA's contribution to strengthening the Korea-Bangladesh partnership."
Ambassador Kim Ji-joon said, "KOICA alumni are living bridges between our two nations, and I am confident this network will only grow stronger."
Jihoon Kim highlighted the importance of the alumni network in extending the impact of Korea's development cooperation beyond individual programs. "Our partnership does not end with a training program," he said. "The knowledge you bring back to your institutions is what makes our cooperation lasting."
The event showcased how alumni have applied their training within their institutions and shared their expertise with government colleagues and young people through KBAA's knowledge-sharing activities. The evening also recognized the government counterparts and partners supporting Korea-Bangladesh cooperation in health, education, ICT and digital governance, and rural development.
The event concluded with a renewed commitment to strengthen the KBAA network, expand knowledge-sharing opportunities, and deepen the professional and institutional ties between Korea and Bangladesh.
