Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Wednesday said the government has taken decision to turn state-financed Bangabandhu Fellowship Project into a trust so that no future government can discontinue the fellowship programme dedicated for scientific studies and research.

She said this while distributing cheques of donation among the recipients of post-graduate studies and research under Bangabandhu Fellowship and National Science and Technology (NST) Project at Osmani Memorial Hall here on Wednesday.

The prime minister said a country cannot progress ignoring scientific research. Bangladesh’s food autarky and vegetation round the year were results of research, she said adding the government has given utmost priority to research-based education in the national education policy framed in 2010.

Sheikh Hasina said her government after coming to power in 1996 allocated budgetary fund for the first time aimed at giving scholarship to post-graduate students for studies and research in various fields. But the next BNP-Jamaat government suspended scholarships of many students forcing them to leave their studies in the midway, she said.

‘I hope that such situation will not happen again in future. So the government has taken decision to make the government financed project into a trust and accumulate ample fund so that the fellowship programme can be continued even if we were not in power,’ the prime minister said.

The present government introduced the fellowship project with an objective of creating qualified scientists, technologist and researchers in the country to building a science-friendly digital society and development of scientific research in the country.

Chairman of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Science and Technology Dr AFM Ruhal Haq attended the function as special guest while state minister for Science and Technology Yafez Osman was in the chair. Secretary of the Ministry of Science and Technology Sirajul Haque Khan gave welcome address.

This year 50 MS, 160 Phd, 11 post-doctoral students and researchers were given the fellowship for study and research at home and abroad.

The prime minister expressed her firm optimism that the recipients of the fellowship and every people, who reached to the highest altitude of the knowledge, would always uphold sense of morality, patriotic spirit and have knowledge about society, polity and state.

Pointing out her government’s initiative for establishing 12 science and technology university in the country, the prime minister said the government intends to establish at least one medical university in each division to promote higher studies and research in medicine.