Students seeking higher education abroad will be eligible for easy loans of up to Tk 10 lakh under a new government programme, Finance Minister Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury said while placing the proposed national budget for FY2026-27 on Thursday.

Unveiling the proposed budget in Parliament, the finance minister said plans are underway to introduce a mandatory third language, such as Japanese, Korean, Mandarin, Arabic, French or German, into the curriculum alongside Bangla and English.

“To support third-language learning and facilitate higher education abroad, the government has already introduced a loan facility of Tk 10 lakh for students wishing to pursue higher studies overseas,” he said.

The initiative aims to expand opportunities for higher education abroad and help talented students overcome financial barriers.

The government plans to keep interest rates comparatively low and allow repayment after graduates enter the job market, he said.

The finance minister also said the government would ensure access to the scheme without administrative hassles.

The proposed budget allocates Tk 136,606 crore for education and human resource development, a significant increase from the current allocation of Tk 87,206 crore, which accounted for 1.39 percent of GDP.

According to the finance minister, the government plans to raise spending on education to 5 percent of GDP by 2030, viewing the investment as a strategic step toward building a skilled workforce and a knowledge-based economy.

Amir Khosru said the government considers overseas education not as "brain drain" but as "brain circulation" that can contribute to remittance growth and the development of skilled human resources in the future.