By NNN-PTI,
Dhaka : Congress leader Rahul Gandhi wrapped up his five-day Bangladesh visit today during which he examined the micro-credit projects run by the Grameen Bank of Nobel Laureate Professor Muhammad Younus and spoke about Indian scholarships for Bangladeshi IT students.
The 38-year-old general secretary of India’s ruling party was seen off at Zia International Airport by Grameen Bank chief Younus and Indian High Commission officials, besides those of Bangladesh Rural Advancement Committee (BRAC), one of the world’s largest NGOs.
During his “private visit” to several Grameen bank projects, the Lok Sabha (Lower House) member said more Bangladeshi students should be offered stipend for IT education in India.
“Bangladesh needs to think more about IT education,” Grameen bank official quoted Gandhi as saying during talks with a group of young students at the bank’s head office here. He said he will talk to his party and government for providing more academic opportunities for Bangla students in India.
The son of Congress President Sonia Gandhi and former premier Rajiv Gandhi said he expected to visit the country again in the near future along with sister Priyanka.
He was offered a farewell dinner by the Indian High Commission in Dhaka last night and a lunch by Grameen bank, during which he was served traditional Bangladeshi dishes like ‘hilsha’, ‘brinjal fry’, ‘lentils’ among others.
Younus, whose experiment with poor men’s banking earned Bangladesh the repute of being the home of micro-credit, presented him a ‘fatua’ — a traditional Bengali attire and sarees for his mother and sister.
During his low-profile visit, Rahul Gandhi also discussed micro-credit operations, primary and IT education, solar energy and human rights issues with Brac Chief, Fazle Hossain Aved.