29/08/2026
Amongst all the negative aspects and sufferings of MIST, there was one key advantage for the students – graduating earlier than any other institution in Bangladesh.
But I say ‘was,’ not ‘is’. Because MIST is hell-bent on getting rid of the only thing that made its hellish curriculum worth the suffering.
MIST has declared that it will pursue a 2.5-month-long break after this semester just so that the rest of MIST can start at the same time as a new first-year batch that will be enrolled in January 2027.
I will not beat around the bush; let's get straight into what problems it will cause:
• Current 4th-year students will not be able to graduate before the hiring window this year closes.
• The 4th-years will graduate at a time when other universities have already saturated the job market.
• Students who plan to apply abroad will lose the application season of 2027.
• MIST is already suffering from last year’s poor decision to take double the number of students per batch. Adding a completely new batch is going to choke the already suffocating infrastructure of MIST even further.
• Despite what the “Higher-ups” tend to believe, the already subpar standard of education that MIST provides will deteriorate significantly.
While I ‘pretend’ not to know what the reason is behind this decision to enroll a completely new batch mid-year, none of us can say that this decision, and as a side effect, the 2.5-month-long break, is beneficial for anyone.
Let’s now shift our focus to the Respected Commandant’s address to the students on 27th of August: it was not an address of problems. It was a dictation of “solutions”.
• MIST is unwilling to see the perspective of the graduating batch, stating that some must suffer so that new rules and systems may come into effect. The sufferings include, but are not limited to, being unemployed for almost a year and having a gap year on our resume.
• MIST is going to offer “development courses” to help students earn skills and certifications during this break. One of my friends calling these courses “under-development courses” should give enough context to the quality of education.
• MIST has committed to providing cleaner washrooms. I think this point deserves applause. Points for reduced semester and supplementary exam fees were rejected.
• Complaints of smoking in washrooms have led to the promise of creating dedicated smoking zones because MIST “understands our pain”. Smoking kills, by the way.
• MIST indirectly used slang against the graduating batch in front of all the junior batches. We all know what happens when an authoritative body does not respect the leaders in front of their subordinates. Side note: the students' families were not spared as well.
Ending Remarks: I used to think that the alumni body of MIST is bad and unwilling to help students. Now I know why. Any batch being treated the way my batch is will, no doubt, cut off MIST at the very moment they graduate. The greatest Bangladeshi dream is to leave Bangladesh. And the greatest MISTian dream is to leave MIST. I wanted to write a lot of things. But I decided that this is a time to be intelligent, not emotional.
My friends know how furious I am, not because of the inexcusably bad decisions, but because of the sheer disrespect shown to the leading batch and the student body. And one piece of advice for the current level 1: listen to those who have been in your shoes before you, even if their words seem to go against you or your comfort zone. Pretty promises are almost always used to cover up bad or selfish decisions.
If I missed anything, please feel free to add it in the comment box.
© Sameen Abrar
