The New Nation - Internet Edition

DU Correspondent

A large number of students from both public and private universities thronged the last day of the Dhaka International Education Fair-2007 at the Basundhara Expo Centre for information about overseas study.

Regional offices of different overseas universities offered various courses in the fair to draw the attention of the students.

Sumaiya Islam, an official of IBM education service, regional office of Premier College of UK said they gave fifty per cent discount on tuition fees for the first year in the two fixed overseas colleges-Premier and Churchill Colleges.

The institution manages scholarship for the students on the basis of good result and give guidelines to the students about the bank solvency certificate that is the main hindrance to getting a visa, she added.

Univision, another consultant which gave spot admission in the fair stall enrolled 350 students to provide offer letters from Churchill College of UK.

Muktadir Mahmud of Univision told the New Nation that they had waived Tk 5,000 of the registration fee for the spot admission in the fair.

Sources said there are some consultants cheating the students in the name of spot admission, especially those who are not experienced in this field, they collect cash from the students without providing confirmation letters.

A total of 102 stalls of different universities from both home and abroad, education institutions and related service providers were set up in the fair.

The stalls mainly counselled on the visa processing for overseas study.

The organisers said almost 24,000 students visited the fair in the four days.

Your Exhibitions and Event Solutions (YEES), a private event management company, organised the fair from November 9.

Abir Sarker David, an organiser of the fair, said the fair was like a shopping mall where the students got all information together and there was no possibility of being cheated.

In reply to a question, he said they would not take the liability, if any student was deceived by any of the service providers.