Twenty-six Bangladeshi nationals have been awarded with the Commonwealth scholarships this year.
Sarah Cooke, the British high commissioner to Bangladesh, congratulated the awardees at an event organised by the British Council on Monday.
Since the inception of the Commonwealth Scholarship program in 1960, 1,867 Bangladeshi nationals have received Commonwealth Scholarships or Fellowships funded by the UK government through the Commonwealth Scholarship Commission (CSC).
Currently, 105 Bangladeshi citizens are studying under the Commonwealth scholarship program, including those from the 2023 cohort who are nearing the end of their studies.
This year, 26 exceptional scholars from Bangladesh have been awarded this scholarship to attend prestigious UK universities including the University of Oxford, the University of Cambridge, SOAS University of London, the University of Warwick, and the University of Edinburgh, said the British Council.
The Commonwealth scholarship programs are highly competitive, recognising candidates with outstanding applications.
Sarah Cooke said: “I am delighted that 26 Bangladeshi students have been awarded this year's Commonwealth scholarship to pursue postgraduate degrees at world-class UK universities and contribute to Bangladesh’s development.
"It reflects the UK's ongoing commitment to the [modern] Commonwealth and Bangladesh. We wish all the scholars continued success in their future endeavours," she said.
Shannon West, Interim Director Bangladesh, British Council, shared: “It is remarkable to see the continued recognition of Bangladeshi scholars each year through the Commonwealth Scholarship programme, allowing them to study in the UK.
"These scholars make substantial contributions to the international nature of UK higher education and Bangladesh's development upon their return."
This year's scholars will study various fields, including behavioural and Economic Science, Biological Chemistry, Civil Engineering, Computational Applied Mathematics, Data and Decision Analytics, Education, Electronic and Electrical Engineering, Environmental Science, Geographical Information Systems, Global Health Policy, Global Health Science and Epidemiology Healthcare Management, Human Rights, International Development Law and Human Rights, International Relations Law, Management, Medical Statistics and Health Data Science, Museum Studies, Public Health, Public Policy, Sustainable Agriculture and Food Security, and Textiles and Apparel.