Sylhet City Corporation (SCC) Administrator Abdul Qayyum Chowdhury said that although there are ample opportunities for higher education in the country today, this opportunity was once very limited. MC College was the only institution for higher education in Sylhet. In the 1947s, students had to go to Calcutta University or Aligarh University, and that too for a limited number of students. After the establishment of Dhaka University in 1921, the opportunities for higher education expanded somewhat.
He said that although several public universities have been established in Sylhet, not all students are getting the opportunity for higher education. As a result, we are still lagging behind in the field of education. Those who have received ICCR scholarships from Sylhet are undoubtedly talented.
He made these remarks while addressing the chief guest at a program organized by the Indian Assistant High Commission in Sylhet on Wednesday, April 8 evening, to mark the 77th anniversary of the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) Scholarship.
Abdul Qayyum Chowdhury said, our students are going to different countries of the world to gain knowledge. India is our friendly and neighboring country. Since the last fifties, students have been getting the opportunity to study in India through the ICCR scholarship and this program is still ongoing.
He further said that Maulana Abul Kalam Azad was the Education Minister of India when this scholarship was launched. Despite the change of government in India, such educational programs continue.Today’s reunion has been organized for those who have completed their studies with this scholarship. Such scholarships create unique opportunities for students.
Referring to Bangladesh and India as friendly countries, he said that mutual cooperation and positive relations between the two countries have always continued.
Indian Assistant High Commission in Sylhet organized a program at a hotel in the city’s suburbs, where Indian Assistant High Commissioner Aniruddha Das, Second Secretary Rajesh Bhatia and other dignitaries spoke. Eminent musician Himansh Biswas, Professor Himadri Shekhar Roy of Shahjalal University of Science and Technology, scholarship recipients and other guests were present at the program.
Incidentally, ICCR (Indian Council for Cultural Relations) is a fully funded scholarship program of the Government of India, through which foreign students get the opportunity to study in India at undergraduate, postgraduate and PhD levels. Under this scholarship, tuition fees, accommodation and living expenses are borne and it is mainly provided for cultural exchange and meritorious students.
