A new group of 21 Bangladeshi students has arrived in Pakistan under the Allama Muhammad Iqbal Scholarships, further advancing the Pakistan–Bangladesh Knowledge Corridor and expanding academic exchanges between the two countries.
The students, selected for fully funded higher education opportunities, will pursue undergraduate, Master’s and PhD programmes at Pakistani universities. Their arrival follows the first group of 42 students under the latest phase of the programme, according to the information provided by the Higher Education Commission (HEC).
The students were seen off at Dhaka’s Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport by Pakistan High Commissioner to Bangladesh Imran Haider before travelling to Pakistan. At Islamabad International Airport, they were received by representatives of HEC Pakistan and officials from participating universities.
The students welcomed the opportunity to continue their higher education in Pakistan, describing the scholarships as an important opportunity to advance their academic and professional goals. They also expressed appreciation to the Government and people of Pakistan for providing fully funded study opportunities.
The latest arrivals form part of a broader scholarship initiative launched under the Pakistan–Bangladesh Knowledge Corridor. The initiative was announced during Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar’s visit to Bangladesh in August 2025, with Pakistan committing 500 fully funded scholarships for Bangladeshi students over five years.
According to HEC, the scholarship programme covers tuition fees, stipend, hostel and mess charges, settlement allowance, air travel, and books and stationery. The programme offers opportunities at undergraduate, Master’s and PhD levels across fields including medicine, engineering, computer science, business administration, media studies and basic and social sciences.
The first phase of the Knowledge Corridor began in November 2025, with 74 Bangladeshi students subsequently joining Pakistani universities. HEC said in September that more than 3,000 candidates appeared in the admission test for the next intake, with 125 qualifying for undergraduate programmes, 22 for Master’s and 14 for PhD studies.
The second phase of the scholarship initiative was formally launched in Dhaka in May 2026 through the Pakistan Education Expo, jointly organised by the Pakistan High Commission and HEC. Representatives of 20 Pakistani universities participated in the expo to present higher education and scholarship opportunities to Bangladeshi students.
The programme is intended not only to provide access to higher education but also to expand academic mobility, research collaboration and institutional partnerships between Pakistan and Bangladesh. Pakistani officials have described the Knowledge Corridor as a mechanism for strengthening educational links and people-to-people contacts between the two countries.
Related: 1st Batch of Bangladeshi Scholars Arrives in Pakistan
With successive groups of Bangladeshi students now entering Pakistani universities, the scholarship initiative is becoming a significant channel for cross-border higher education and academic exchange under the broader Pakistan–Bangladesh Knowledge Corridor.
