IFIC Bank Awards Research Grants And Scholarships To 80 Dhaka University Students For 2026

🤝 IFIC Bank PLC has awarded research grants and scholarships to 80 students of the University of Dhaka as part of its initiative to promote academic research and educational advancement. The awards were presented at the "IFIC Bank Trust Fund Research Grant and Scholarship Award Ceremony 2026", held on Monday at the Nabab Nawab Ali Chowdhury Senate Bhaban on the university campus.

📊 Prof M Jahangir Alam Chowdhury, treasurer of the University of Dhaka and chairman of the IFIC Bank Trust Fund, chaired the programme as the chief guest, according to a press release. During the ceremony, research grants were awarded to 50 students, while scholarships were awarded to 30 students from the 2022-23 and 2023-24 academic sessions. Munsi Shams Uddin Ahmed, acting registrar of the university, conducted the programme.

🏛 The IFIC Bank Trust Fund

The IFIC Bank Trust Fund at the University of Dhaka represents one of the more substantive corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives in Bangladesh''s banking sector. Unlike one-off CSR donations, trust funds create a permanent endowment that generates ongoing funding for research and scholarships — providing sustainable support for academic advancement at one of the country''s premier universities.

Trust funds of this nature typically work by the bank making an initial endowment to the university, which then invests the funds and uses the investment income to fund annual research grants and scholarships. The principal amount is preserved in perpetuity, while the investment income provides a steady stream of funding that grows over time as the endowment is reinvested. This structure ensures that the bank''s CSR contribution has a lasting impact on the university''s research and educational mission.

👥 Why corporate-academic partnerships matter

Corporate-academic partnerships like the IFIC Bank Trust Fund are strategically important for Bangladesh''s broader development agenda for several reasons. First, they help bridge the gap between academia and industry — providing funding for research that is relevant to the country''s economic development priorities. Second, they help develop the next generation of researchers, scientists and professionals who will drive the country''s future economic growth. Third, they create a pipeline of talent that companies like IFIC Bank can recruit from in the future.

For the University of Dhaka, the trust fund provides a valuable source of funding for student research that supplements the limited public funding available for academic research. Bangladesh''s universities have historically been underfunded relative to their peers in other middle-income countries, and corporate trust funds help fill the gap by providing targeted support for specific research areas and student cohorts.

🌏 Bangladesh''s broader CSR landscape

The IFIC Bank Trust Fund is part of a broader CSR landscape in Bangladesh, where commercial banks are required to allocate a portion of their profits to social development activities under Bangladesh Bank''s CSR guidelines. The guidelines encourage banks to focus their CSR spending on areas such as education, healthcare, disaster relief, environmental conservation, and skills development. Education-related CSR — including scholarships, research grants, and university partnerships — has emerged as one of the most popular categories for bank CSR spending.

For IFIC Bank specifically, the trust fund reflects the bank''s positioning as a socially responsible financial institution that invests in the country''s human capital development. The bank''s continued support for the University of Dhaka — one of the country''s most prestigious academic institutions — also helps strengthen its brand image among the educated middle-class segment that forms a key customer demographic for the bank.

💰 Looking ahead

The 80 students who received research grants and scholarships at the 2026 ceremony join a growing cohort of IFIC Bank Trust Fund beneficiaries who have benefited from the bank''s sustained investment in higher education. As the trust fund continues to generate investment income, the number of students supported each year is likely to grow — creating an expanding community of researchers and professionals who can contribute to Bangladesh''s economic and social development.

For Bangladesh''s broader banking sector, the IFIC Bank Trust Fund model provides a useful template for other banks considering how to structure their CSR spending for maximum long-term impact. Trust funds create sustainable, predictable funding flows that support academic research and scholarship — outcomes that align well with the banking sector''s interest in developing the human capital needed to support the country''s future economic growth.