Education Minister Dr ANM Ehsanul Hoque Milon on Monday said Bangladesh-Pakistan Knowledge Corridor will open new avenues for educational and research cooperation between the two countries and further strengthen bilateral academic relations.
“The relations between Bangladesh and Pakistan in the education sector are getting stronger day by day. This programme will play an important role in the progress of the relations between the two countries in the future,” he said.
The minister made the remarks while inaugurating the second phase of the Allama Muhammad Iqbal Scholarships under the corridor as well as the Pakistan Education Expo 2026 at a city hotel.
Organised by the Pakistani High Commission in Dhaka in collaboration with the Higher Education Commission of Pakistan, the expo brought together representatives of 20 leading Pakistani universities and institutions to showcase scholarship opportunities and higher education opportunities for students from Bangladesh.
Pakistani High Commissioner to Bangladesh Imran Haider and Secondary and Higher Education Division Secretary Abdul Khaleque were present at the event, said a PID handout.
The Education Minister hoped that cooperation between the two countries in teacher training and research, alongside scholarships for students, will further expand in the future.
Praising the quality of Pakistani universities, he said Bangladeshi students are getting the opportunity to pursue higher education without bearing educational expenses, which is very commendable.
Milon said the monthly scholarships, being given to students for housing and living, will help them focus fully on their studies.
He visited stalls set up by various Pakistani universities and wished success for the second phase of the Allama Muhammad Iqbal Scholarships.
Pakistani envoy Imran described the initiative as a landmark step towards building enduring academic and institutional linkages between Bangladesh and Pakistan.
He noted that Bangladeshi students have already commenced studies at prominent Pakistani universities under the first phase and expressed confidence that enhanced educational exchanges will further strengthen bilateral relations and people-to-people ties.
Following Dhaka, similar Education Expos will also be organised in Barishal (12 May 2026), Rajshahi (14 May 2026), Sylhet (17 May 2026), Chattogram (18 May 2026) and Rangpur (20 May 2026) to facilitate greater outreach to students across Bangladesh, according to the Pakistani High Commission.
Under the scholarship initiative, a plan has been taken to provide opportunities for 500 Bangladeshi students to study in Pakistan over the next five years in phases.
In the first phase, 74 Bangladeshi students were already selected through examinations and awarded scholarships for higher education in Pakistan.