The Pakistan High Commission in Dhaka has clarified that Master’s degree students selected under the Allama Iqbal Scholarships will receive equal financial support, addressing media queries regarding reported funding disparities.
The high commission explained that while disbursement modalities for Master’s scholars – which are currently being communicated to them – may differ from those for undergraduate students, all qualifying recipients under the programme will be provided with equivalent financial assistance.
The scholarship scheme is a key component of the Pakistan-Bangladesh Knowledge Corridor, a flagship initiative announced by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar during his visit to Dhaka in August 2025 to promote educational cooperation and people-to-people contact between the two nations.
Highlighting the progress of the initiative, the high commission noted that the programme is successfully advancing towards its objectives, with 74 students joining top-ranking Pakistani universities last year as part of the first batch.
For the second batch, more than 3,000 candidates sat for the admission examination, with 125 qualifying for undergraduate programmes, 22 for Master’s degrees, and 14 for PhD studies. All qualifying scholars are set to join their respective universities in Pakistan shortly after completing the necessary formalities.
Reaffirming its commitment, the high commission added that Pakistan remains dedicated to strengthening cooperation with the brotherly nation of Bangladesh across all domains, including education and people-to-people exchanges.
