Dhaka: The government has announced a significant initiative aimed at ensuring that the education of meritorious students is not hindered by financial difficulties. The plan involves providing direct admission assistance to more than 17,500 financially insolvent students each year, covering levels from secondary to undergraduate education.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, this initiative will be funded through the Prime Minister’s Education Assistance Trust (PMEAT). The Ministry of Education is currently finalizing revisions to the 2020 guidelines to implement this expanded support. Professor Mohammad Anwar Hossain, Assistant Director (Scholarships) of PMEAT, confirmed the development, noting that a meeting was held on January 8 to finalize the draft of the new “Guidelines for Providing Admission Assistance to Meritorious Students from Financially Insecure Families Admitted to Educational Institutions, 2025.”
The newly proposed guidelines were approved during the meeting, and following some amendments, they will be issued upon receiving in-principle approval from the ministry. Professor Mohammad Anwar, who also serves as the Member Secretary of the Preliminary Screening Committee for admission assistance, emphasized that once implemented, the new guidelines will triple the number of students receiving admission assistance compared to the previous framework.
The January 8 meeting, chaired by Rehana Perven, Secretary of the Secondary and Higher Education Division, granted in-principle approval for the draft guidelines with certain amendments. Senior Assistant Secretary Md. Rajibul Alam indicated that the guideline is expected to be officially ordered soon.
The 2025 guidelines propose significant changes from the 2020 guidelines, particularly in coverage and financial support. At the secondary level, the number of students per upazila receiving assistance will increase from five to 20, each receiving Tk 4,000. For higher secondary level, assistance will be provided to 10 students per upazila, up from two, with each receiving Tk 6,000. At the undergraduate level, an admission assistance of Tk 8,000 is proposed for up to 2,000 meritorious students nationwide, where previously, no specific quota existed.
The working paper presented at the meeting highlighted that under the current 2020 guidelines, 5,619 students receive assistance annually at a cost of Tk 41,197,000. If the new guidelines are approved, 17,510 students will benefit each year, with an estimated annual cost of Tk 88,380,000, fully covered by PMEAT’s current funds.
To qualify under the proposed guidelines, students must have guardians with an annual income below Tk 3 lakh, an increase from the previous Tk 2 lakh ceiling. Special priority is proposed for children of government employees in grade 20. Applicants must have secured at least 60 percent marks or an equivalent GPA in previous examinations, with priority given to disabled students, orphans, children of landless families, and children of freedom fighters.
To ensure transparency, two committees will be formed: a Primary Screening and Selection Committee headed by the Director of PMEAT, and a high-level Selection Committee chaired by the Managing Director of the Trust. These committees will oversee application scrutiny and beneficiary selection, with assistance disbursed directly to students’ online bank accounts or mobile banking platforms.
Rezwana Akhter Jahan, Assistant Director (Planning and Development) of PMEAT, stated that the financial incentives aim to support the continued education of poor and meritorious students, preventing dropouts due to financial constraints. She expressed optimism that the updated guidelines, aiming to integrate more talented students into mainstream education, would receive ministry approval within the next week.
Currently, around 64 lakh students from grades 6 to 12 receive scholarships under PMEAT’s integrated scholarship program, while 1.65 lakh students benefit from stipends and tuition fees at the graduate level.