The Bangladesh Bank has widened access to foreign currency for overseas education by allowing banks to release foreign currency for language courses abroad without prior approval from the central bank.
The BB issued a circular in this regard on Thursday, allowing Bangladeshi nationals to remit fees for studying in language programmes overseas, even if those courses are not directly linked to undergraduate admission.
Under previous rules, banks were permitted to remit foreign exchange for certain categories of study, Including undergraduate, postgraduate, and language courses that are prerequisites to bachelor鈥檚 degrees, but required central bank clearance for standalone language programmes.
With the new directive, banks can now independently process remittance requests for all types of language courses offered by recognised institutions abroad.
BB officials said that the decision aimed to open wider scope in employment abroad, particularly in countries where language proficiency was a key requirement for entry-level jobs or vocational training.
They said that this was especially beneficial for students targeting employment opportunities in Japan, South Korea and some European countries, where passing a local language proficiency test was mandatory for both academic enrollment and job placement.
Previously, such students had to wait for the Bangladesh Bank鈥檚 approval, which often involved delays and uncertainty.
The new policy eliminated that barrier, streamlining the process for both students and banks.
