This year, 2,000 students, heirs of Freedom Fighters, will receive scholarships under the ‘Muktijoddha Scholarship Scheme’ which was initiated by the government of India in 2006 for the descendants of Freedom Fighters. A total of 1,000 students from each HSC and UG level have been selected for scholarship. The Ministry of Liberation of War Affairs extended their immense support to identify the students from all corners of Bangladesh. The scholarship amount will be credited directly to the bank account of the students through Direct Bank Transfer (DBT). From today onward, State Bank of India, Gulshan branch will start transferring the scholarship amount directly. Also read: Scholarship activities to be digitalised: Dipu Moni Each year, the Indian government awards scholarships to descendants of Freedom Fighters to commemorate the invaluable contribution of Freedom Fighters towards the Liberation of Bangladesh. Bangladesh and India have a unique historical legacy and the relationship is deeply rooted in a shared culture, heritage, history and geography, said the Indian High Commission in Dhaka on Wednesday. It said India attaches the highest importance to its friendship with Bangladesh and is committed to work to support the national efforts of Bangladesh for the betterment of their own people. The award of these scholarships, even during the Covid-19 Pandemic, is in furtherance to the visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Bangladesh. Also read: New scholarship for Bangladeshi teachers announced by US embassy It exemplifies the abiding commitment of the government and people of India towards friendship with their brethren in Bangladesh, said the High Commission. Originally, scholarships were awarded to Higher Secondary and Undergraduate level students. Undergraduate students were awarded Tk 24,000 per year for four years and Higher secondary students were awarded Tk 10,000 per year for two years. The new scheme launched during the visit of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s visit to India in April 2017 was to benefit 10,000 students from Bangladesh over a period of five years. An amount of Tk 20,000 is to be given to Higher Secondary and Tk 50,000 to Undergraduate category students, who are direct descendants of Muktijoddhas, under the new scheme. Also read: 20 Bangladeshis selected for Australia Awards Scholarships The government of India has sanctioned an amount of Tk 35 crore for both schemes combined together. As of now, 17,082 students have benefited under this Muktijoddha Scholarship Scheme, and an amount of Tk 37.99 crore has been utilised for this purpose.