National University on Tuesday launched the July Martyr Memorial Scholarship, commemorating the role youths played in spearheading the July mass uprising.
The scholarship will be given every year, according to a decision of its authorities.
Chief adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus on the day inaugurated the scholarship handover programme by awarding scholarship cheques to three students of the university at his office. At the time, he also inaugurated the month-long programme National University undertook to observe the first anniversary of July uprising, said a release issued by the chief adviser鈥檚 press wing.
During the July uprising, 32 National University students were killed.
Under the scholarship programme, one-time financial assistance will be provided to meritorious students with special needs and those from marginalised and disadvantaged background.
Students at the undergraduate and postgraduate levels of various colleges and institutes affiliated to the university are eligible for the scholarship.
This year, 2,040 students from 725 institutions under the university would get the scholarship, according to the press release.
The three students who received the cheques from the chief adviser are鈥擧abiba Akhter of Siddheshwari Girls鈥� College, SM Abu Taleb of Tejgaon College, and Khandaker Mahmudul Hasan of Dhaka Commerce College.
Currently, there are about 2,150 colleges under the university with 40 lakh students across the country.
At the cheque handover ceremony, the interim government鈥檚 education adviser Professor Chowdhury Rafiqul Abrar said that after the July uprising, the responsibility fell upon the government to reconstruct the state institutions.
鈥楨ducation has a vast role in forming that new Bangladesh,鈥� he said, adding, 鈥榯here is no alternative of education for reducing discrimination and establishing equality in the society.鈥櫬�
The ceremony was attended, among others, by NU vice-chancellor Professor ASM Amanullah, pro vice-chancellor Professor Md Lutfor Rahaman and treasurer Professor ATM Zafrul Azam.