Pakistan's much-touted 'Knowledge Corridor' scholarship programme for Bangladeshi students is facing a credibility crisis, with selected candidates alleging that the 'fully funded' scholarships cover only tuition fees and dormitory accommodation — leaving out meals, transport, airfare, and monthly allowances. The discrepancy, reported by Bangladesh-based Daily Asian Age, has prompted many selected students to reject the offers outright, calling the situation a 'deception'.

How the Knowledge Corridor Was Announced

The initiative was announced during a visit to Dhaka by Pakistan Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar in August 2024. Dar unveiled the Knowledge Corridor as an educational cooperation framework designed to strengthen higher education links and people-to-people ties between Pakistan and Bangladesh. Under the programme, administered by Pakistan's Higher Education Commission (HEC), the Pakistan government reportedly committed to providing 500 fully funded scholarships to Bangladeshi students over five years.

What Students Were Actually Offered

The first batch of approximately 74 students began their studies at Pakistani universities in February 2025, according to the Daily Asian Age report by journalist Rafiqul Islam Pintu. A second phase of scholarships was subsequently announced in Dhaka in May 2025. However, after completing the selection process, students shortlisted for postgraduate programmes were informed that their awards would cover only tuition fees and dormitory charges — with no provision for monthly stipends, meals, transport, or other essential living expenses.

This stands in sharp contrast to the 'fully funded' label under which the scholarships were publicly promoted, and has led to widespread disillusionment. Despite clearing rigorous examination and selection processes, many students have decided to decline the awards rather than bear out-of-pocket costs in a foreign country.

Students Call It 'Deception'

One selected student, who requested anonymity, was quoted by the Daily Asian Age as saying: 'On behalf of Bangladeshi applicants for Pakistan's fully funded master's scholarships, I would like to bring an important issue to your attention. This is a form of deception: saying one thing and doing another. It is deceiving hundreds of students and jeopardising their futures.'

The sentiment is reportedly widespread among the second-phase cohort. Students argue that the gap between what was promised publicly and what the official offer letters state amounts to a fundamental breach of trust, one that carries practical consequences — particularly for students from lower-income families who made educational decisions premised on full financial support.

Broader Context: Bangladesh-Pakistan Ties

The Knowledge Corridor was positioned as a flagship people-to-people initiative at a time when Pakistan and Bangladesh have been cautiously rebuilding diplomatic and trade ties. Educational diplomacy, historically a soft-power tool, carries symbolic weight in this bilateral relationship. The scholarship controversy, if unaddressed, risks undermining the goodwill the programme was intended to generate. Notably, neither Pakistan's HEC nor the Pakistani government has publicly responded to the allegations at the time of reporting.

What Happens Next

It remains unclear whether Pakistan's authorities will revise the scholarship terms or issue a clarification addressing the gap between the announced benefits and those reflected in the offer letters. Student advocates are reportedly pushing for official intervention, and the issue has drawn attention in Bangladeshi civil society and media circles. How Pakistan's HEC responds in the coming weeks will determine whether the Knowledge Corridor retains any traction among Bangladeshi applicants.