The government plans to provide education loans of up to Tk10 lakh to students proficient in a third language, in addition to Bangla and English, to help them pursue higher education abroad.
Finance Minister Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury made the announcement Thursday while presenting the proposed budget for the 2026–27 fiscal year in Parliament.
As part of the initiative, students will be required to study a third language alongside Bengali and English.
The programme will focus on internationally significant languages including Japanese, Korean, Mandarin, Arabic, French, and German.
The loan facility is aimed specifically at students who wish to pursue higher education overseas after mastering these languages.
The proposed budget allocates Tk 1,36,606 crore for the education sector, up nearly Tk 49,400 crore from the previous year’s allocation of Tk 87,206 crore.
Finance minister emphasised efforts to convert the country’s “brain drain” into “brain circulation,” encouraging highly educated Bangladeshis abroad to contribute to domestic education and research initiatives.
The budget also includes measures to modernize classrooms through technology, including the “One Teacher, One Tab” programme, multimedia classroom setups, and expanded free Wi-Fi access.
Strengthening links between industry and academia through apprenticeships and internships has also been prioritised.
Artificial intelligence and robotics will be key areas of focus, with plans to integrate AI into education to prepare students for the future workforce. The budget further envisions building smart cities and simplifying citizen services through technology.
