Bangladesh deeply values India’s ICCR scholarships: Law minister

Bangladesh values “deeply” the contribution of the ICCR scholarships offered by India, the law minister has said.

Speaking at the ICCR Day celebration in Dhaka on Tuesday, Anisul Huq said the ICCR has successfully nurtured the long-standing relations between the people of these friendly countries.

Indian High Commissioner Riva Ganguly Das also spoke at the celebration hosted by the high commission.

India, whose foreign policy spans from creating a conducive environment for growth to improving relations in South Asia, draws a large number of young working professionals in the private and government sectors from across the world and trains them different institutions every year.

The Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) is the oldest scheme of India through which it offers scholarships for graduate, post-graduate and doctoral studies.

Since independence, over 3,500 Bangladeshi students studied in India under the ICCR initiative.

The law minister said Bangladesh and India relations are “multifaceted” in nature and are “rooted in our shared history and geographical proximity”.

“The links between the countries are civilizational, cultural, social, and economical.”

“1971 was the watershed moment for the relations,” he said, referring to India’s support in Bangladesh’s war of independence from Pakistan.

About 500 guests including former ICCR scholars and special invitees attended the function at the National Museum. Some of the ICCR scholars shared their experiences of studying in India.

The highlight of the function was a cultural programme where former ICCR scholars performed.