DHAKA, April 2, 2026 (BSS) - The Ministry of Public Administration has termed a report, published on an online platform named "Star News," claiming that 300 secretaries would be sent to Thailand to learn English as false and misleading.

In a protest statement, the ministry said the programme is neither designed for secretaries nor limited to English training.
 
Instead, it is a structured initiative aimed at enhancing the capacity and diplomatic skills of mid-level government officials.

The programme is being implemented under the project titled "Strengthening Institutional Capacity of BIAM for Conducting Core Courses," which includes training on governance, financial management, public procurement, negotiation skills, English proficiency and policy formulation on e-governance and ICT.

The ministry said several components of the courses, including English proficiency, have already been completed in the country, while some overseas training sessions were held in Italy.

It added that although the foreign part of negotiation skills training was initially planned in the UK, alternative venues in Asia, including Thailand or Malaysia, are being considered to reduce costs.

The training will be funded by Japan's DRGACF fund, with no financial involvement from the Bangladesh government.

The ministry also said mentioning "Pattaya" was a deliberate attempt to portray the programme as tourism-oriented and clarified that the proposal has not yet been sent to ECNEC for approval.