Pakistan High Commission says Allama Iqbal scholarship students will receive equivalent financial support

The Pakistan High Commission in Bangladesh has said all qualifying students under the Allama Iqbal Scholarships programme will receive equivalent financial support, following questions over financial assistance for Bangladeshi students selected for master’s programmes in Pakistan.

In a Facebook post, the high commission said the modalities for disbursing financial support to master’s students may differ from those for undergraduate students, but the scholarship benefits would be equivalent for all eligible students.

“The modalities of disbursement for Masters students – which are being communicated to them – may differ from those of undergraduate students. However, all qualifying students under this programme would be provided with the equivalent financial support,” the mission said.

The clarification came after questions were raised over differences in the financial support being offered to Bangladeshi students selected for master’s programmes at various Pakistani universities.

The Pakistan High Commission described the Allama Iqbal Scholarships programme as a key component of the Pakistan-Bangladesh Knowledge Corridor, a flagship initiative announced by Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Muhammad Ishaq Dar during his visit to Dhaka in August 2025.

The initiative aims to promote educational cooperation and people-to-people contacts between Bangladesh and Pakistan, according to the high commission.

The mission said 74 Bangladeshi students joined Pakistani universities last year as part of the programme’s first batch.

For the second batch, more than 3,000 students appeared in the admission test, of whom 125 qualified for undergraduate programmes, 22 for master’s programmes and 14 for PhD programmes, it added.

All the selected students are expected to join their respective universities in Pakistan after completing the necessary formalities, the mission said.

The high commission reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening cooperation with Bangladesh in education and people-to-people exchanges, among other areas.