Pakistan High Commission clarifies scholarship funding for Iqbal scholars

The Pakistan High Commission in Dhaka has clarified that students selected for master’s programmes at Pakistani universities under the Allama Iqbal Scholarships will receive financial support equivalent to that provided to other qualifying students.
The clarification came in response to media reports about disparities in financial support for Bangladeshi students selected for master’s programmes under the scholarship scheme.
In a statement, the high commission said the modalities for disbursing financial support to master’s students may differ from those for undergraduate students and are being communicated to the students concerned. However, all qualifying students under the programme would receive equivalent financial support, it said.
The scholarship programme is 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 to promote educational cooperation and people-to-people contacts.
The high commission said the programme was progressing towards its objectives, with 74 students joining top-ranking universities in Pakistan last year as part of the first batch.
Of more than 3,000 students who appeared in the admission test for the second batch, 125 qualified for undergraduate programmes, 22 for master’s programmes and 14 for PhD programmes, it said. 
All the selected students are expected to join their respective universities in Pakistan after completing the necessary formalities.