Australia Awards South and West Asia

In 2025, Australia Awards continued to support Bangladesh’s development priorities by equipping emerging leaders with skills, networks and leadership experience to drive meaningful change. The 2025 Year in Review highlights the impact of Australia Awards Scholarships, short-term training and alumni engagement in Bangladesh.

Key highlights from 2025, as presented in the Year in Review, include:

• Forty-five Bangladeshis returned home after completing their master’s degrees in 2025 and are now applying their learning to support Bangladesh’s development priorities.
• Sixty diverse applicants from Bangladesh received Scholarships for study commencing in 2026.
• Fifty-eight Bangladeshi scholars participated in six Scholars Symposiums across Australia, enhancing their networking opportunities and leadership skills.
• A total of 58 Bangladeshis completed Short Courses designed to build sector-specific capability and foster collaboration, including learning, networking and site visits in Australia.
• Scholars, Short Course participants and alumni strengthened their capacity to respond to the challenge of climate change through targeted initiatives.
• More than 690 alumni took part in engagement activities.

Reflecting on her Australia Awards experience, scholar Shah Rahnuma Binte Jalal Sarna, who is currently studying a Master of Social Policy at the University of Melbourne, said, “My Australia Awards experience means so much more to me than just earning a degree.”

“The inclusive environment and the support I receive as a scholar with disability make it possible for me to fully participate and grow in ways I hadn’t expected.”

Access the full report: Year in Review 2025 – Bangladesh