International Hope School Bangladesh

International Hope School Bangladesh
International Hope School Bangladesh, Dhaka
Location
Uttara, Dhaka

Bangladesh
Coordinates23°51′53″N 90°23′38″E / 23.8647°N 90.3938°E / 23.8647; 90.3938
Information
Former nameInternational Turkish Hope School
TypePrivate international school
Established1996 (1996)
FounderKazim Eldes
ChairmanTimothy Donald Fisher
PrincipalRoksana Zarin
Faculty300
GradesPlaygroup through 12
Enrollment6000 (all campuses, 2025)
Campus size0.81 hectares (2 acres)
Campus typeUrban
Color(s)   Blue and White
Team nameHopians
Websiteihsb.edu.bd

International Hope School Bangladesh (IHSB) is an English medium, private international school in Uttara, Dhaka, Bangladesh. It was previously called International Turkish Hope School.

History and campus

Founder Principal Kazim Eldes established ITHS in Dhaka in 1996.[1] The President of Turkey, Süleyman Demirel, a strong supporter of Turkish schools, officially inaugurated the school while on a state visit in March 1997.[2]

The school started as one campus in rented premises serving a small number of very young students.[1] It has since grown to eight campuses in three cities: two preschools, two junior sections (grades 1–5), and two senior sections (one boys, one girls) in the Gulshan and Uttara areas of Dhaka, a branch in Chittagong that spans from preschool through grade 12, and a preschool and junior section in Bogra. Combined enrollment has risen to over 6000 as of 2025.[3]

ITHS began construction of a purpose-built campus on two acres of land granted by the Bangladesh government,[4] located in Uttara Sector 4, in June 2002. Construction was finished in September 2005. Facilities include an extensive playground, football field, basketball court, conference hall, library, and computer and science lab. There are boys and girls hostels for boarders.[5] The school has six branches in Dhaka.[6] On 21 February 2010, President of Turkey, Adbullah Gul, visited the campus of the school.[7]

Following the 2016 Turkish coup d'état attempt; the Turkish ambassador to Bangladesh claimed the school was affiliated with Gülen movement; which he described as a terrorist organization. Turkish school teachers, the school employed 33 Turkish nationals who claimed they were being denied service by their embassy and one employee reported that the embassy confiscated his passport.[8] The school denied any connections.[9]

The school changed its name in 2018 to International Hope School Bangladesh, after the school had to cut ties with the Turkish.[10][11] The school changed its logo and almost all Turkish teachers and students had to leave. The school came in the ownership of International Hope Limited.

In 2024, IHSB was bought by starling education. Timothy Donald Fisher was installed as chairman.

Curriculum

IHSB is an English medium school having classes from Toddler through higher secondary level. The school follows the Cambridge IGCSE and GCE system and prepares the students for O-level and A-level examinations. English is taught from an early age.[12] The British Council has partnered with the school since May 2015, teaching English language reading and writing skills to children between 11 and 13 years old at the Uttara campus.[13][14] Bengali language classes are compulsory for students with Bangladeshi roots. Religious studies classes are compulsory for Muslim students.[12]

Students

There are about 2000 students. 17% of the students are from countries outside Bangladesh, including Malaysia, Canada, Philippines, USA, UK, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Scotland, Egypt, Pakistan, Yemen, Iraq, China, Italy, Spain, Japan, Germany, Australia, Taiwan, India, Sri Lanka and Turkey.[3]

Events

Bangla Olympiad:

Bangla Olympiad is an annual inter-school cultural event in Bangladesh, organized by International Hope School Bangladesh to celebrate the Bengali language and culture, especially around International Mother Language Day. Held in February, it includes competitions in essay writing, poetry recitation, music, painting, speech, dance, and quizzes. The 2025 edition, held on February 22, featured over 1,500 students from around 80 schools. The Olympiad promotes linguistic excellence among English-medium students and encourages pride in Bengali heritage. Prominent cultural figures often attend, and top participants are awarded in a grand ceremony.

IHSB STEM Fest:

The IHSB STEM Fest is an inter‑school science, technology, engineering, and mathematics extravaganza hosted by International Hope School Bangladesh in Dhaka. Its 2025 edition took place from January 24–25 at the Uttara campus and featured innovative project showcases and STEM challenges designed to foster creativity, problem-solving, and collaboration among participating students. As one of the country’s largest school-level STEM festivals, the three-day event attracted numerous teams who presented hands-on experiments, engineering models, robotics, and programming exhibits, culminating in a grand gala and awards ceremony.

IHSB Business Carnival:

The IHSB Business Carnival is a three-day inter-school event hosted by the IHSB Business Club at International Hope School Bangladesh (Uttara), typically held in mid-November. In its 2024 edition (November 15–17), over 600 students from around 50 schools competed in entrepreneurial challenges such as Pitch Perfect, Friedman’s Fallacy, and Marketing Mania, showcasing business plans, economic solutions, and marketing strategies, with top ideas receiving awards—one even honored by Biman Bangladesh Airlines . The carnival also featured an exhibition of products from 20 leading business groups and student‑run stalls open to the public, along with mentorship opportunities . Notably, the event saw a cultural performance by Shunno and was attended by distinguished guests including the British Deputy High Commissioner, the CEO of Sterling Education, and officials from Hi‑Tech Park.

IHSB Super Cup:

The IHSB Super Cup is an annual inter-school football tournament organized by International Hope School Bangladesh, reigniting the pitch after a hiatus. The 2025 edition, also dubbed "Super Cup 2.0," was contested on January 24–25 at Quality Field in Chattogram, with several school teams battling it out in group and knockout stages. The championship culminated in a thrilling final where IHSB Red emerged as champions, defeating Aga Khan School Dhaka with a total of 20 goals scored throughout the tournament. This high‑voltage sporting spectacle celebrated teamwork, skill, and sportsmanship, and featured awards for winners and runners‑up announced after four days of intense play .

See also

References

  1. ^ a b Rahman, Shafiq (26 August 2005). "At the Turkish Hope School". Probe News Magazine. Dhaka. Archived from the original on 8 September 2011.
  2. ^ "Turkish educator says Demirel stood with Turkish schools abroad". Cihan News Agency. Istanbul. 19 June 2015. Archived from the original on 9 August 2015. Retrieved 20 July 2015.
  3. ^ a b "Brief History". International Turkish Hope School - Bangladesh. Archived from the original on 6 September 2018.
  4. ^ "Turkish school enhances cultural ties between Turkey, Bangladesh". Today's Zaman. Istanbul. 18 December 2008. Archived from the original on 11 August 2015. Retrieved 20 July 2015.
  5. ^ "Classroom". International Turkish Hope School - Bangladesh. Archived from the original on 2018-09-29. Retrieved 2014-10-24.
  6. ^ "Guardians protest Turkish Hope School's new instalment plan". The Daily Star. 2017-07-10. Retrieved 2021-03-20.
  7. ^ "::: Star Campus :::". www.thedailystar.net. Retrieved 2021-03-20.
  8. ^ "Turkish nationals in Bangladesh living in fear of Erdogan's long arms". Dhaka Tribune. 2017-08-04. Retrieved 2021-03-20.
  9. ^ "International Turkish Hope School protests Turkish ambassador's remark". Dhaka Tribune. 2017-07-18. Retrieved 2021-03-20.
  10. ^ "Dhaka Pearson Edexcel Venue details - January 2019, International Advanced Level (IAL)" (PDF). British Council Bangladesh.
  11. ^ Raidah, Nazifa (9 May 2019). "Fire safety in schools". The Daily Star.
  12. ^ a b "Curriculum". International Turkish Hope School - Bangladesh. Archived from the original on 2018-09-26. Retrieved 2014-10-24.
  13. ^ "British Council re-launches e-learning centre at Dhanmondi". bdnews24.com. 22 June 2015.
  14. ^ "Uttara teaching centre at Int'l Turkish Hope School". British Council Bangladesh. Archived from the original on 2022-01-27. Retrieved 2015-07-19.
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