Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has instructed the provision of loans of up to 1 million taka as bank guarantees or bank solvency support for students planning to study abroad, aiming to ease the challenges of depositing large sums in banks, said State Minister for Expatriate Welfare Nurul Haque Nur.
He made the announcement after meeting the Prime Minister on Tuesday afternoon.
“Thanks to the Prime Minister’s interest and guidance, the Ministry of Expatriate Welfare and Overseas Employment has been directed to provide loans of up to 1 million taka for students going to countries like Korea, Japan, China, and Germany,” Nurul Haque Nur said. “The Expatriate Welfare Bank under our ministry will be dedicated to issuing these loans.”
The State Minister also addressed potential impacts of the ongoing Middle East crisis on Bangladeshi workers. “A large portion of our labor market is in the Middle East. We discussed the possible challenges and opportunities arising from the situation, particularly infrastructure rebuilding. The Prime Minister emphasized that knowledge of a third language can improve wages for our workers abroad,” he added.
Nurul Haque Nur noted that an MOU signed by the interim government aims to send 100,000 workers to Japan, and discussions were held on expediting deployment to Japan and Europe. He also highlighted that, for visa applications to some European countries, applicants currently need to go to India. “The Prime Minister instructed the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to request these countries to establish consular services in Bangladesh. Some have already done so, and others are being asked to follow suit,” he said.
Bd-pratidin English/ Jisan
