<p>India and Bangladesh exhibit commonalities in their sociocultural backgrounds and contexts, with both nations facing challenges regarding the education of disadvantaged children. India’s recently introduced National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 aims to offer universal access to high-quality Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) through an updated educational framework. By contrast, Bangladesh has not yet implemented comparable policies. An evaluation of Bangladesh Early Childhood Education (ECE) situation was undertaken based on the NEP 2020 recommendations. The present study utilised a qualitative methodology and critically analysed relevant policies. This study focuses on pre-primary education programs in rural government primary schools. Data were collected through interviews with Early Childhood Education (ECE) experts and teachers complemented by classroom observations. The results revealed that pre-primary education functioned as a one-year school readiness program for five-year-olds. However, a lack of suitably trained teachers has been noted. The majority of educators had no pre-service training and received only two weeks of on-the-job training. Experts have proposed methods for improving the quality of ECE programs. Bangladesh has encountered difficulties in teacher training, professional development, and contextual implementation. By drawing insights from India’s NEP-2020, this study provides suggestions to enhance Bangladesh’s ECE program.</p>