Alliances françaises of Dhaka and Chittagong

A unique organization of its kind, the Alliance Française de Paris was founded in 1883 in Paris under Paul Cambon and Pierre Foncin, with help from a few notable figures including Jules Verne, Louis Pasteur, Ferdinand de Lesseps, Armand Colin, and Ernest Renan.

In 2023, Alliance Française celebrated its 142 years through out the world. Currently, Alliances Françaises has a worldwide network of more than 800 establishments (133 countries), led by the Fondation des Alliances Françaises, its main partner. They are autonomous bodies administered by an executive committee and managed by French nationals seconded by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Alliances françaises have close ties with the cultural services of French embassies that often grant them an annual subsidy.

The two Alliance françaises of Bangladesh have been operating for half a century : 64 years for the Alliance française de Dhaka and 52 for Alliance française de Chittagong. Both centres fulfill the tasks ascribed to all Alliances worldwide : teaching French to all age groups, promoting French and francophone cultures in all their variety, and encouraging cultural diversity through the promotion of local (i.e. Bangladeshi) culture.

The Alliances françaises de Dhaka and Chittagong deliver quality teaching in line with the highest international standards. Their teachers are all qualified and trained to use the latest developments in language teaching methodology. They welcome over 6, 500 students every year, and also teach in schools and government institutions. Every year, the Alliances Françaises in Bangladesh issue 1,000 DELF certificates, official diplomas in French as a second language, valid internationally. In Allliance française, students enjoy all the facilities to quickly become proficient in French – small-size groups, make-up classes, personalised follow-up and a congenial atmosphere. To perfect their command of the language and get better acquainted with French culture, students and members can also avail themselves of the thousands of documents (books, comics, magazines, CDs, DVDs) from the libraries.

The Alliance française de Dhaka has its headquarters in Dhanmondi and two branches, and one branch in Gulshan. It also offers a wide range of highly popular artistic workshops in the fields of music (piano, western classical guitar, violin), interior design, photography, videography and children painting.

Over the years, the Alliance françaises de Dhaka and Chittagong have established themselves as the most vibrant cultural centres in their respective cities. They organize exhibitions, conferences, concerts, dance shows, film shows, theatre festivals and partner most of the leading festivals in Bangladesh. They are places of cultural exchange, platforms and meeting points for artists and art critic from Bangladesh and abroad.

There is NEVER A DULL MOMENT WITH ALLIANCE FRANCAISE !