A.N.M. Ehsanul Hoque Milan

Abu Naser Muhammad Ehsanul Hoque Milan (; born 1 January 1957) is a Bangladeshi politician affiliated with the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP). He has been the incumbent Jatiya Sangsad member representing the Chandpur-1 constituency and the incumbent minister of education since February 2026. He represented the same constituency from 1996 to 2006 and was the state minister for education from 2001 to 2006 under Prime Minister Khaleda Zia.

Early life and education Milan was born in Kachua, Chandpur (then part of Comilla), on 1 January 1957. His father, Obaidul Haque, worked as a government officer, and his mother was Mahmuda Haque. He completed his secondary education at Sher-e-Bangla Nagar Government Boys' High School and higher secondary education at Government Intermediate Technical College (now Government Science College).

Milan earned a chemistry degree from the University of Dhaka. In 1982, Milon moved to the United States and obtained an MBA from the New York Institute of Technology. He served as an adjunct lecturer at Brooklyn College and Borough of Manhattan Community College, and worked professionally as a chemist in the pharmaceutical industry. In 2018, he earned a PhD in political science from the International Islamic University Malaysia; his dissertation examined the role of technical and vocational education and training in Bangladesh's socioeconomic development.

Personal life Milan is married to Nazmun Nahar Baby.

Milan became a parliament member for the first time in the 7th national parliament election held in 1996 from the constituency 260, Chandpur-1, Kachua. In the election of the 8th national parliament held in 2001, he defeated the Awami League candidate, former minister Muhiuddin Khan Alamgir, by a large margin. Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia appointed Milan as the state minister for education. After being responsible for Chandpur, he started a movement called Jatka Nidhon Protirodh Andolon (Stop Killing Small Hilsa Fish) on his own initiative.

Milan won the 2026 Bangladeshi general election, contesting at the Chandpur-1 constituency and securing 133,032 votes while his nearest opponent Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami candidate Abu Nohar Muhammad Makbul Ahmad got 70,368 votes.

Controversies and legal issues After serving in office, Milon faced legal challenges. On 5 June 2012, he secured bail in numerous cases and subsequently traveled abroad. He returned to Bangladesh in November 2018 and was arrested in Chittagong, accused in as many as 25 cases involving serious charges such as murder, smuggling, and vandalism.

Involvement and views In recent years, Milon has continued to engage in public discourse and education initiatives. In February 2025, as director of the ADUST Skill Development Institute, he spoke at a workshop urging youth to embrace technology and entrepreneurship in nation-building.

In May 2025, he publicly criticized the interim government's inefficiency and called for swift elections. Addressing students, he emphasized the importance of balancing activism with academic and moral development.

Minister for Education (2026–present)

Following the formation of the government led by Tarique Rahman, Milan was sworn in on 17 February 2026 as the minister for education and minister for primary and mass education. After assuming office, he pledged to reform Bangladesh's education system and restore its academic standards.

Controversy over HSC 2026 exam conducts

In July 2026, Milan faced widespread criticism after the government decided to proceed with the Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) and equivalent examinations despite severe weather conditions affecting many parts of the country. The decision prompted criticism on social media and from political figures, with calls for postponement of the examinations. Many notable non-political political figures and organizations came in support of the criticism. At last, on 13 July, a mass protest began against him for his decision to continue the HSC exam. Because in the context of mass floods over the country, students were concerned. In a call record, he mentioned the students as 'broiler chicken'. That's why students called for his resignation.

The Bangladesh Inter-Education Board Coordination Committee, the government body responsible for coordinating HSC and equivalent examinations, issued an official statement signed by its president in response to the criticism. The committee stated that the decision was based on reports from local administrations, which indicated that most examination centres remained operational. It also cited the use of a common question paper across all education boards and warned that postponing the examinations could disrupt the education calendar and university admission schedule. The statement added that Deputy Commissioners (DCs) and Upazila Nirbahi Officers (UNOs) were authorized to take necessary measures if conditions worsened.