DHAKA, July 11 (Xinhua) -- Hundreds of Bangladeshi students applied for the China Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) scholarship this year.
Yasmin Akhtar from southeastern Bangladesh is one such scholarship aspirant. She has been studying at the National Polytechnic College in Chattogram city, about 242 km southeast of the capital city of Dhaka.
The female student who is currently studying in the Department of Architecture said the Chinese scholarship is a ray of hope for her and many others.
"I can't afford my study expenses. I could easily study in China if I received a scholarship. Educational expenses in China will be a little lower. So I am seeking a scholarship," said Yasmin, while waiting with many others in dire need of a scholarship to continue their education.
She further said the quality of education in China is much better than she knows.
"And now everything is made in China or being produced in China. I can do something special in the future if I study in China. Really, I could learn something very worthwhile."
Another student Mohmmad Shohel, who is also seeking a Chinese scholarship, has traveled a long way to get here from the Cumilla district, about 96 km southeast of Dhaka, to take an interview.
"I am here from Cumilla Polytechnic. I am a student in the civil engineering department. We have come here in the hope of receiving a scholarship," he said.
The interviews for the China TVET scholarship program were held in Dhaka recently, offering scholarships for Bangladeshi students to study in China.
Munshi Shahabuddin Ahmed, secretary of Bangladesh's Technical and Madrasah (Islamic) Education Division (TMED), said China has so far offered remarkable assistance to Bangladesh.
"Offering technical knowledge to our young generation and helping to move them forward for specifically oriented education is a big step."
According to the official, about 400 youngsters from Bangladesh will go to China this year. They will study there and learn about Chinese culture and will gather first-hand information about cutting-edge Chinese technologies and become analysts, he said.
"We hope when they come back they will work for the country and work for the nation. The program is evidence of China's ongoing and tangible support for Bangladesh, its youngsters and our future as a country," he said.
"It is a big deal that 400 to 500 students from Bangladesh are getting the opportunity to study in China a year," he said, adding, "We hope this number will increase in the future. We would hope that every year at least 1,000 boys and girls could go to China from Bangladesh for higher study."
"We would like to thank the Chinese ambassador (to Bangladesh) and the Chinese government," he said.
Chinese Ambassador Zhang Zuo said in 2017 and 2018, over 20 TVET institutions from eight Chinese provinces came to Bangladesh for recruitment programs and provided 1,149 scholarships to young students in over 500 different majors.
He said China is keen on extending its cooperation with Bangladesh regarding the TVET program.
"China has been a most reliable friend of Bangladesh since our liberation," said Munshi.
China's continuous support in almost every development sector has helped Bangladesh become one of the economic powerhouses of the 21st century, he said.
