Japan provides scholarship grants to Bangladesh and Sri Lanka

Japan has extended grant aid to both Bangladesh and Sri Lanka through the Japanese Grant Aid for Human Resource Development Scholarship (JDS) programme to support public sector professional development.

In Bangladesh, the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and the government signed an agreement for the 2026 programme. The grant, totaling approximately ¥567 million (US$3.51 million), will fund 33 government officials to pursue postgraduate studies at Japanese universities. This includes 30 master's degrees and three doctoral degrees, aimed at enhancing socioeconomic policy formulation.

In Sri Lanka, the Japanese government provided JPY 282 million in grant aid for the JDS project. This funding will support 15 public sector officials in pursuing two-year master's degrees starting in 2027. The scholarships focus on fields such as public policy, international relations, macroeconomics, and investment management to strengthen institutional capacity and national leadership.