Tarique orders Tk 1.0m loans for students going abroad

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman has directed the Ministry of Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment to arrange loans of up to Tk 1.0 million for students and workers heading abroad, reports bdnews24.com.

State Minister for Expatriates' Welfare Nurul Haque Nur disclosed the decision after a meeting with the premier at the Secretariat on Tuesday morning.

"The prime minister has instructed us to provide loans of Tk 1.0 million as bank guarantees or solvency support for students going to countries like Korea, Japan, China and Germany," he said.

He added that the loans would be disbursed through Probashi Kallyan Bank, a specialised bank under the ministry.

Nur said the meeting also discussed the impact of the ongoing conflict in the Middle East on Bangladesh's labour market.

"A significant portion of our workforce is employed in the Middle East. The destruction of infrastructure there may create new demand for workers during rebuilding," he said, expressing hope that Bangladesh's labour market would not be adversely affected.

A key focus of the prime minister's directive was the necessity of linguistic proficiency.

"Our people often settle for low-paying jobs simply because they do not know the language. If they are proficient, they can secure much better salaries," Nur quoted Tarique as saying.

The prime minister has emphasised learning third languages, particularly in the context of expanding opportunities in Japan and Europe, he added.

Nur noted that a memorandum of understanding to send 100,000 workers to Japan had been signed under the interim government and discussions focused on accelerating its implementation. The meeting also addressed visa-related challenges for Europe-bound workers.

"Many European visas require applicants to travel to India. The prime minister has instructed the foreign ministry to pursue those countries to establish consular services in Bangladesh," he said. Some countries have already begun offering such services, and efforts are underway to ensure others follow suit, he added.