“The South Asia region did not have a visa-free regime like the European Union, where no visa is required to visit a country that is part of the block.”
— Shamsul Alam, Bangladesh Minister of State for Planning
Bangladesh Minister of State for Planning, Shamsul Alam said that he was in favour of visa-free travel for students in the BBIN countries, reported PTI. Bangladesh is keen to become illiteracy-free by 2041. Addressing the valedictory session of the two-day ‘Natural Allies in Development and Interdependence’ conclave, the Bangladeshi economist also said that his country would become “hunger-free” by 2041.
“Let us open up doors in the countries for the students. I am not talking about government centres or the scholarship programmes. I am talking about the private sector, too,” Alam said.
“Bangladesh has around 50 public and 108 private universities. Its literacy rate increased to 73 per cent from 43 per cent in 2005-06, while life expectancy has risen to 75 years from 65 years a decade ago.”
— Shamsul Alam
He said that the South Asia region did not have a visa-free regime like the European Union, where no visa is required to visit a country that is part of the block. “But for the students, we can have free access to the educational institutes. Let us allow the students to go freely for education as well as for tourism. We can start with the BBIN (Bangladesh, Bhutan, India and Nepal) countries,” Alam said.
Bangladesh has around 50 public and 108 private universities. Its literacy rate increased to 73 per cent from 43 per cent in 2005-06, while life expectancy has risen to 75 years from 65 years a decade ago, the Minister was quoted saying. He also said that Bangladesh would enter the league of prosperous or developed nations with a per capita income of USD 16,400 by 2041.
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