Message from our Head of School

AISD: A Great Place to Be

As a school community that is proud of the learning experience we provide, I want to be the first to re-emphasize our commitment to your child's learning. From the maintenance staff to me, your Head of School, we remain focused on delivering what we are globally known for - premier international education to a diverse student body.

Faculty and staff return to AISD every August, ready to embrace and harness the energy of excitement and readiness to learn that we see in our students at the beginning of an academic year. The anticipation of greeting each student and parent makes the first day of school a special event, an event that begins the process of helping everyone become a part of our AISD community.  

Be assured that I and the AISD faculty and staff are here to help in any way possible. Do not hesitate to let us know if we can be of assistance.

Wishing you all the best for a successful school year at AISD.

Stephen Herrera

Head of School

Our Core Values

  • We are a compassionate, caring and diverse community. 
  • We act with integrity and respect. 
  • We embrace creativity and balance.
  • We are proud of our diversity and willingness to collaborate. 
  • We hold each other accountable to these values.

Our Vision
"Preparing students to become stewards of a just and sustainable world."

Mission Statement

AISD creates an academic and social environment based on American educational principles. We challenge students from an international community to achieve their potential, become life-long learners and contribute to a changing global society.

AISD History

The American International School Dhaka (AISD) has existed in the nation of Bangladesh since 1972, but its history goes back as far as 1956, when, in former East Pakistan, it was known as the Dacca American Society School. Over the years, this educational institution has gone through various changes.

2022 will mark AISD's 50th anniversary

In response to the needs of the growing expatriate community in then Dacca, a group of parents, primarily employees of the U.S. Government and U.S. business firms, started the Dacca American Society School in Dhanmondi in 1956.  It was later registered with the Government of East Pakistan in 1963. The school was briefly disbanded during the War of Independence and reopened as the American International School Dhaka in 1972 in a house in Gulshan, with an enrollment of 54 students. The School grew too large for its spaces and moved to Baridhara in 1980 with classrooms for Kindergarten to Grade 8 students, with an opening enrollment of 230 students. 

  • The Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools (MSACS) first accredited AISD in 1984 for kindergarten to Grade 8.
  • The high school program (Grades 9 to 12) was added in 1988, and the first class of seniors graduated from AISD in 1991.
  • The Pre-Kindergarten program was added the following year.

AISD was re-accredited in 1994 by the MSACS and the European Council of International Schools (ECIS)  for kindergarten to Grade 12. AISD received new accreditation in 2004 by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC) and the Council of International Schools (CIS) for Pre-Kindergarten to Grade 12.

Early Days