EDU strides gallantly with free education for marginalised women

East Delta University (EDU), a tertiary-level educational institution with a firm belief in sustainable social responsibility, takes a bold step with a vision to empower women suffering from poverty, violence, and discrimination. EDU indorses that a confident and responsible woman can be a changemaker if nourished with resilient education. To cultivate such future leaders and usher a positive change in society, EDU has launched its landmark endeavour to provide free education to women who face social, financial or contextual barriers.

Sayeed Al Noman, the University's Founder Vice-chairman, proclaims this view at the launching of 'Women Empowerment and Leadership Fund.' He adds that this is a `Matching Grant' fund to provide free education to underprivileged women from all over the world, including Bangladesh.

The EDU authorities have taken up this project to empower marginalised women to play a leading role in the social and professional spheres to build sustainable leadership for positive change in society. Women are persistently victims of hardship, gender discrimination, and aggression. Innumerable potential women in various parts of the world are inundated by war and ethnic conflict. EDU believes that the initiative will provide them with exposure to world-class higher education and play an influential role in overcoming these obstacles.

The launching program was held on Thursday, August 19, at 7 pm on virtual platforms. EDU student Sadia Taher, the Shera Radhuni 1417 champion, was given a reception and a prize of 50,000 taka by the university for setting an exemplary remark in the society. Sadia Taher will serve EDU as the brand ambassador of the Women Empowerment and Leadership Fund initiative.

Sayeed Al Noman added that EDU has been working to ensure a diverse student body and learning environment since its inception. It has always been providing financial support to students, especially potential women. This time EDU has brought this publicly by formally creating a fund. The fund will be utilised to identify the barriers they face and provide relevant support. He hoped that this initiative would play a far-reaching role in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals of the Government of Bangladesh.

In the beginning, the anchor of the program and one of the female faculties of EDU, Rawnak Afroze thanked Sayeed Al Noman for taking this initiative to advance women.

It was announced that any individual or institution can contribute to this fund. The fund has 'matching grant' characteristics, which means when any external institution contributes an amount, EDU will match that amount and add the same amount to the fund. EDU's Founder Vice-Chairman, Sayeed Al Noman, contributed 7-lakh taka to the fund during the event. As a result, EDU, as an institution, will contribute the same. Every year, this fund will support 10 female students for a 4-year undergraduate program. EDU will allocate approximately 75-lakh taka in the fund.

Vice-Chancellor, Prof. M. Sekander Khan, highlighted that EDU is focused on creating social and institutional leadership. It has been sponsoring students who have the potential to play in society to improve their academic lives and develop a sense of social responsibility in their careers. Eligible students are given financial benefits every semester. 

Sharmin Sultan, Chief People Officer, GPH Ispat, Humaira Afreen Khan, Organization Effectiveness Manager, Marico India Ltd., and Dr Munal Mahmood, Director, Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry were the guest speakers on this occasion. They praised the initiative of EDU and said that it will have a ground-breaking impact on the advancement of women in Bangladesh.

As for the requirements, applicants for this scholarship must have GPA 5.00 in both SSC and HSC or equivalent examinations. For the O/A level, the total points should be 30. In addition, if the candidates are involved in voluntary work with NGOs, social organisations, engaged in the development of disadvantaged people, or if a candidate already has an outstanding role in society or has become an entrepreneur, priority will be given. They will also be considered if there is relevant involvement in creative and cultural activities that can be assessed. At the time of application, the candidate must provide details of family members, socio-economic status, income statement, certificate of local people's representative, and former head of the educational institution. Candidates can also apply in detail elucidating their goals and plans.

Those interested can visit scholarships.eastdelta.edu.bd or EDU's official Facebook page to know more about this fund. Call 01311-104531, 01311-104532, 01311-104534, 01311-104538 or message on WhatsApp to contact the scholarship team.