A Research on Performance Analysis of Student Counseling Agencies in Bangladesh

A Research on

Performance Analysis of
Student Counseling Agencies in Bangladesh

Submitted To :
Mr. Shahin Ahmed Choudhury
Lecturer
Department of Marketing
Faculty of Business Studies
University of Dhaka

Submitted By :
Md. Rezwan Ullah Khan
Sec: B, Roll: 019 (BBA), 070 (MBA)

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th
MBA 10 Batch
University of Dhaka

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Letter of Transmittal

Mr. Shahin Ahmed Choudhury


University of Dhaka

Subject: Submission of Internship Report.

Dear Sir,

I’m very pleased to submit my Intern Report on the topic “Performance Analysis of Student
Counseling Agencies in Bangladesh”. The report is focused on how the students get the help from

the student counselors about their decision of studying abroad. While preparing this report, I tried my

best to follow the instructions you gave.

It was a great pleasure for me to work with this report under your supervision. I respectfully

acknowledge your guidance and help. For your kind consideration, I would like to mention that here

might be some errors and mistakes due to limitations of my knowledge. I expect that you will forgive

me for those unintentional errors and mistakes.

If you have any questions regarding the report, I would be highly glad to respond to your questions.

I would like to request you to accept this paper for evaluation.

Sincerely,

____________________________

(Md. Rezwan Ullah Khan)
Sec: B, Roll: 019 (BBA), 070 (MBA)
th
MBA 10 Batch

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University of Dhaka

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Acknowledgement

Thanks to the almighty for giving me the knowledge and strength

to perform this project. At a time, I was doubtful about my ability.

At last, I could finish it. I would like to thank my Course

Instructor, Lecturer of Department of Marketing, University of

Dhaka, Mr. Shahin Ahmed Choudhury. The theoretical

knowledge I gathered from him will always be helpful in my later

life.

Md. Rezwan Ullah Khan
th
MBA 10 Batch



University of Dhaka

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Table of Content
Executive summary page.5

Section: 1
Introduction page.7
Pattern of student migration page.8
Rationale page.9

Section: 2
Discussion & Analysis
Finding information on Foreign Study page.12
Scenario of UK going students (fact sheet) page.15
Evaluation of student migration process page.16
UK student visa turn elusive page.17
The most common malpractices page.19

Section: 3
Conclusion & Recommendation
Conclusion page.23
Recommendation page.24
Theoretical implications page.25

Section: 4
Appendix
List of some student counselors in Bangladesh page.27

Section: 5
Proposal page.31

Section: 6
Questionnaire page.34

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Executive Summary
This study has dealt with a variety of issues surrounding student

migration from Bangladesh to the UK, regarding both the nature of this

migration and the current system for managing it. It explored some of

the motivations for Bangladeshis to study in the UK. These included

enhanced job prospects in Bangladesh, access to the international job

market, higher social status in Bangladesh, historical ties with the UK,

the existence of a large Bangladeshi Diaspora community, English

language and images of the West and global culture gained through

modern media. This highlights the importance both of country context

and of changes at a global level for understanding international student

migration. This study has also drawn on statistical data to analyze the

current patterns and trends in student migration from Bangladesh to

the UK. Statistics reveal that the most popular destinations for

Bangladeshi students are, in descending order, the US, Australia,

Canada, Cyprus, Japan and Malaysia. For many Bangladeshis,

overseas study counseling agencies provide the major source of

information on UK study, which is due partly to their extensive

advertising in a range of locations. The perception that agencies offer a
‘fast-track’ route through the system and will help overcome formal

obstacles also explains their popularity. While acknowledging the

potentially useful role that genuine agencies can play in facilitating

student migration from Bangladesh to the UK, this study highlighted the

need for greater regulation of such agencies in Bangladesh. Finally,

this study has discussed the use of student migration as a route to

irregular labor migration to the UK. While no exact figures are

available, research suggests that a high number of applicants for UK

study are intending to work on arrival and that many of those entering

the UK as students are doing so. Bogus UK colleges and the agencies

representing them in Bangladesh were found to play a crucial role in

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facilitating those who intend to work, as well as misleading many

genuine students.

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Section: 1

Introduction
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Introduction

There has been unprecedented demand for higher education because "global wealth is concentrated less and

less in factories and the land, and more and more in knowledge and skills" (Power 2000). Universities in most

developed economies have responded to these challenges through expansion of knowledge delivery options

and through appealing to different sets of potential students. The 'global' dimension of higher education

makes universities part of the world market with a new system of relationship (Marginson 2000).

Migration, both within and beyond borders, has become an increasingly prominent theme in domestic and

international debates, and is the topic of the 2009 Human Development Report (HDR09). Student migration is

an increasingly important phenomenon in Bangladesh and the UK ranks among the most popular and highly

regarded study destinations. However, as elsewhere, this migration has received scant attention from the

government, academics or researchers. This study tries to look in detail at the process of applying for study in

the UK and the role of various student counselors involved. It then seeks to evaluate this process and the role

of the different actors involved, identifying what major problems exist. In particular, it aims to draw attention to

the experiences of Bangladeshi students in applying for UK study.

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Pattern of Student Migration from Bangladesh

This section describes the current patterns and trends regarding student migration from Bangladesh to the
UK. The figure below shows the most common destinations for Bangladeshi students from 1999 to 2004.

(Figure available at - http://stats.uis.unesco.org/Tableviewer/tableView.aspx?Reportld=84 )

According to these statistics, the most popular study destinations for Bangladeshis in 2003/4 appear to be, in
descending order, the US, Australia, Cyprus, UK, Japan and Malaysia (although the position of the US and
Australia must be estimated from previous years). These figures point to a general rise in the number of
Bangladeshi students going abroad to study, both to the UK and to other destinations. In the case of the UK,
the number of Bangladeshi students almost doubled in this period, rising from 634 to 1,300. The number
going to the US, Australia, Canada, Cyprus, Japan and Malaysia and Germany also rose.

Two other destinations of growing importance for Bangladeshi students are Canada and Malaysia.
Unfortunately, while the latest figures for Canada are not available in this dataset, other research suggested
this is a growing market for Bangladeshi students. The number of Bangladeshi students going to Malaysia has
climbed from 174 to 743 between 1998 and 2003. Many overseas education agencies in Bangladesh are also
marketing Malaysia as a study destination for Bangladeshis.

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Rationale

Roughly 2 million students per year study outside of their home countries and Asian students make up a large
proportion of these, especially in Australia, the UK and the US (World Migration Report, 2005). Despite a
rapid growth in student mobility and its clear importance, international student migration remains a vastly
under-researched phenomenon. Student migration has huge potential benefits for both sending and receiving
countries, as well as for individual students themselves. The benefits of student migration for the receiving
country have long been recognized, both in terms of ‘brain gain’ and foreign income gained from overseas
students, which the British Council estimates will be 13 billion GBP per year by 2020 (British Council Report,
2004).

In addition, there has been increasing recognition that student migration can bring substantial benefits for the
sending as well as the receiving country. This highlights the importance for Bangladesh of managing its
student migration as effectively as possible. In order to achieve this goal, it is necessary to understand the
nature of student migration in specific contexts and to evaluate the current system through which it takes
place. The student counselors play a very significant role in this situation. They are the one responsible for the
promotion of foreign education and also help guide the students to choose the right path.

The number of student counselors in Bangladesh is not specifically identified, but there is a list of some of the
student counselors provided at the end of this report.

Figure- Growth in number of international students in UK

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(source: “Mobility Matters: Forty Years of International Student, Forty Years of UKCISA”, by Dr. Mary Stiasny, Institution of Education,
2008)

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There are certain things that a student needs to be confirmed about the institution before going abroad. Some
students don’t even bother about the quality of the institution. They just want to go abroad. They take this
student migration as a process of labor migration. These fraud practices are later described in this study.

But students who are genuine and focused on their study, they tend to be more cautious about the institution
they are interested to study in. they try to talk with the agents of that institution and also try to contact with
institution itself trough e-mails and letters.

Motivations for Bangladeshis to study in foreign countries included the followings-

• Enhanced job prospects in Bangladesh
• Access to the international job market
• Higher social status in Bangladesh
• The existence of a large Bangladeshi Diasporas community
• English language and images of the West
• Global culture gained through modern media

(source: Student Migration from Bangladesh to the UK, Penelope Anthias)

Options that students tend to think about before selecting an institution for studying-

• Classroom and Technology Facilities
• Library
• Student Services
• Capabilities
• Teaching
• Learning
• Student orientation

(source: Published in the website of Free Library, titled as “International student satisfaction: role of resources and capabilities”)

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Section: 2

Discussion & Analysis
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Finding Information on Foreign Study
As discussed previously that student migration from Bangladesh is mostly to the UK, that’s why this study tries
to elaborate on the basis of UK admission procedure. Information on both study options and the application
process is available at no cost from various sources. Accessing this information is the first important step that
Bangladeshi students must take towards applying for UK study, therefore forms a crucial part of the student
migration process.

British Council

The British Council is the UK's leading international organization for educational and cultural relations.
Whether someone wants to study in Britain, take a recognized UK exam, wants to find out about the latest
ideas from the UK, or discover what British Council are doing in Bangladesh; they are always there to help.
They have three centers in Bangladesh. They offer a wide range of courses, host different UK recognized
examinations or certificate exams and also counsel students willing to go abroad (especially UK) for study.
They have a dedicated department with dedicated personnel who deals with several questions regarding
studying abroad every day.

They have a dedicated service for students called the Professional Advisory Student Service (PASS) which
deals with student queries. Every year British Council arranges education fair in local hotel to take the
students one step closer to the foreign education system and allow them to speak with the foreign education
promoters. Like every year, British Council arranged an Education Fair in Sheraton Hotel, where 39 British
education institutes participated to meet with the local students and offer their services to them personally.
(source: www.britishcouncil.org)

Other Sources of Information

Information about individual colleges or universities can be obtained from college and university websites.
Almost all universities now have an online prospectus. This normally includes detailed information on all
aspects of study, for example, courses offered, entrance requirements, teaching methods, assessment
criteria, application procedures, funding options, accommodation, student support services, the Students
Union and student life. Additional information can be obtained by contacting admissions offices or specific
departments. There are some agents who works for these universities and colleges to locally promote their
offers and encourage students to go abroad. Description of some of these agents are given below-

MACES

Maces offer extensive advice and support to students considering studying abroad for a higher degree. Their
specific services include:
1. In-depth counseling to help students to select the right course at the most suitable institution with
up-to-date information on course, institution, fees and facilities using their own database and well
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resourced reference libraries. Students with limited access to MACES offices can avail counseling
services on the Web. They advise on entry criteria and the application process and also provide
ongoing support throughout the duration of the application.
2. Student visa advice to help students secure their visa. As a member of BASAS ( Bangladesh
Approved Student Agents Scheme) MACES has received extensive training from the British High
Commission, Dhaka.
3. Pre-departure briefing to help students prepare for going overseas to study. In addition to
seminars MACES provide students with a wealth of information to help them prepare for a smooth
transition.
4. Networking opportunities to enable students to establish contact with alumni, existing students as
well as other new entrants. (source: www.maccesbd.com)

Falcon Education and Consultancy Services Bangladesh

Falcon provides counseling to students from all over the world, especially from Pakistan, Bangladesh and
Oman. It has so far placed more than 5000 students in various universities of high repute in UK. A team of
fully trained professionals and friendly staff, at all the FECS offices, promptly responds to students query and
provides any information regarding study opportunities abroad. They offer services regarding the following-

• Choice of several prestigious UK universities
• Free career counseling
• Free swift admission services
• Fast track visa processing
• Pre-departure orientation
• Post arrival guidance
• Student accommodation
• Student job desk
• Discounted travel to UK
• Corporate services
• Institutional link/collaboration
• Distance learning education and customized research
• Short courses

Overseas Ambition Solutions

Overseas Ambition Solutions is one of the leading and most reliable education consultancy & Immigration
advisory firms in Bangladesh (according to them) with a glaring record of last several years in the field of
successful overseas enrolment. It is a one-stop solution center for foreign admissions and accurate Visa
procurement process for those ambitious pupils who wants to go study abroad.

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Overseas Ambition Solutions (OAS) provides the following services to the students:
• Give all required advice on foreign education.
• Guide students to choose the right courses and institutions which match their aims and career plans.
• Confirm quick admissions in students' desired foreign institutions.
• Assist students throughout the visa application process.
• Make an individual assessment of every student.
• Provide counseling for updated visa and immigration rules of the concerned countries.
• Assist students effectively for accommodation and air-ticket.
• Help students out with opening bank files at home for fast and easy transfer of required money while
they study abroad.
• Assist students for study loans.
• Organize seminars and spot admissions with delegates from foreign institutions.
• Provide free training on IELTS test for potential candidates.
• Run appeal process for refusal cases by the most skilled and experienced solicitors.

BIECA (Bangladesh International Education Consultants’ Association)

BIECA is non-profit association of private & professional education consultants in Bangladesh. Conceived in
2006, established in 2008 and fully active since 2009 with the support of Australian High Commission, Aus
Trade, AEI, British Council, SRIEF (Sub-Continent Regional International Education Forum), ICEF and
numerous public and private education providers across the globe.
It’s important to mention that BIECA is a transformation of previous association body that started back in
2005.

The mission of BIECA (source: www.bieca.org)
• To provide service to fellow Bangladeshi students and make study abroad process organized and
efficient
• To uphold the reputation of members
• To ensure maximum benefits to members
• To prevent and detect operational errors or issues for perfection
• To offer fellowships and scholarships to Bangladeshi students
• To maintain proper communication among relevant bodies

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The Scenario of UK Going Students (Fact Sheet)

Table: Student Visa Applications and Issues 2001-05
%age diff in %difference
Total Student %age
total in student Student Student
application applications student
applications applications issues refusals
received received issues
year on year year on year
2001 27824 - 2482 - 1311 1171 52.8%
2002 23810 -14.4% 3900 57.1% 2176 2080 21.1%
2003 37512 57.5% 5104 30.9% 2374 2617 47.6%
2004 44594 18.9% 6702 31.3% 1926 3663 34.5%
2005 37932 -14.9% 6944 3.6% 2857 4766 37.5%
Source: “student Migration from Bangladesh to the UK” by Penelope Anthias; Page-14, Table-1

The table above shows the total number of visa applications received, the number of applications for student
visa and the number of student visas issued by the British High Commission in the last 5 years. As these
figures reveal, there has been a dramatic increase in the number of student visa applications. In fact,
applications have almost tripled during this period, rising from 2482 in 2001 to 6944 in 2005. While the
number of applicants has risen every year, by far the sharpest increase was from 2001 to 2002, when
applications rose by a staggering 57.1 percent. For the following two years, applicant numbers rose by around
30 percent, although the figure remained fairly stable from 2004 to 2005, rising by only 3.6 percent.

Some statistics of student migration to foreign countries at a glance-

Recruitment of International Postgraduates (1988-1997)

Country 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997

UK 25000 26600 29100 30900 32400 36100 69844 82424 77729 81015
USA 122800 125100 132000 141300 152100 152500 149800 148200 146700 n/a
Australi
4937 6215 6860 7965 9123 10201 11711 13489 14145 16858
a
Canada 11900 13625 14859 15299 15800 15609 15411 n/a n/a n/a
(Sources: UK: HESA, DfEE; USA: US Council of Graduate Schools / Open Doors; Australia: DETYA; Canada: The Canadian Bureau for
International Education.)

International postgraduates from the top 40 non-EU overseas countries, 1994-97
Country 1994 1995 1996 1997
US 3281 3750 3796 3844
Japan 1711 2131 2195 2485
China 2072 2298 2235 2272
India 1276 1561 1714 2137
Pakistan 1040 1164 1157 1217

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Sri Lanka 384 419 361 357
Bangladesh 370 384 358 340
(Source: Calculated from HESA statistics.)

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Evaluation of the Student Migration Process

The following section will try to evaluate the whole immigration process and the role of different actors like the
student counselors within it. The student counselors help the students to easily pass through this process of
migration by guiding them.

Access to Information

Accessing information on UK study constitutes the first crucial stage in the application process. a range of
information sources are freely available to Bangladeshis wanting to study in the UK. Particularly helpful in this
regard are the British Council’s services and the websites of individual colleges and universities. Those
students who don’t know how to get the information from the institution’s website, student counselors help
them find it.

One study regarding the student migration from Bangladesh to UK by Penelope Anthias examined to what
extent Bangladeshis are able to access and understands this information. This was examined through
individual discussions and workshop, in which returned and prospective students were asked about where
they obtained information on UK study, how easy this had been, what problems they had had and how they
thought information could be made more accessible. These discussions revealed that the ability of
Bangladeshis to access information on UK study varies a great deal. Some students interviewed had little
trouble accessing the necessary information independently, through university or college websites and
prospectuses, from the British Council and from other sources listed above. This was particularly the case for
high achieving students and those at postgraduate level.

Meeting Financial Requirements

In terms of the obstacles faced by Bangladeshi students applying for overseas study, the major difficulty for
many is in meeting the financial requirements for obtaining a student visa. Students are required to prove their
ability to pay for their studies and support themselves by providing documents. Students admitted to the UK
must be able to support themselves for the duration of their studies and it is this which dictates financial
requirements. The difficulty that Bangladeshis face in meeting these requirements is a reflection of the
inequality between the two countries and these requirements cannot simply be relaxed because they are
difficult to meet.

Student counselor like the British Council helps student to deal with this problem also. As in today’s time, UK
education requires a bank account in the name of the interested student with the required amount of money
deposited; British Council (BC) guides the student about these processes. BC only takes the student’s
application form to the chancellor for acceptance, who satisfies their criteria of filling up all the information
properly and doing all others parts accordingly. BC has its dedicated staffs and department to guide the

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students to go to UK for study purpose. The department of BC is named as Education UK Desk. This
department is open for all students 6 days a week.

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UK Student Visa Turn Elusive

British High Commission in Dhaka refused student visas as unscrupulous agents processed visa applications
of students possessing fake certificates. The figures of the UK High Commission in Dhaka in 2005 showed
there were 6,944 student visa applications of which only 2,857 applications were granted. Although the
number of UK student visa applications nearly tripled in the last five years (2000-2005), the success rate of
applications declined from 52 percent to 37.5 percent. This huge refusal rate was mainly due to the
submission of forged documents by the visa applicants, their unreliable funding sources and bank documents.
Moreover, the embassies thought most of them had intention of not coming back after finishing study. These
figures were disclosed at a dialogue on "Migration to the UK from Bangladesh: Opportunities and Constraints"
at the British Council auditorium on May 4, 2006. (source: The Daily Star, Vol-5, Num-688, published on- Sunday, May-7,
2006, by- Faizul Khan Tanim)

The visa problem also got fierce in the last year (2009) which is still ongoing. The problem occurred due to the
great depression in the economy worldwide; UK stopped its student inflow for some time. Some elusive visa
applications by the students are also the reasons for stopping the inflow, which is same as the incident of the
year 2006.

Deceptive and Fraudulent Practices
Unscrupulous Counseling Agencies and Bogus UK Colleges

Students may go to agencies hoping that they will overcome legal obstacles by engaging in fraudulent
practices on their behalf. However, there is also the perception, even for those who can meet requirements,
that going to an agency provides the quickest route or best chance of getting through the system. This can be
understood partly in the context of other official processes in Bangladesh, where people have little faith that
following formal procedures will result in equal treatment or success, and seeking help from a personal
contact or paying an intermediary is often the only way to succeed. This partly explains why, as one agency
owner described, students tend to look for a ‘quick fix’ solution or ‘short circuit method’, rather than going
through the proper process.

Agencies often fuel this perception by making claims such as ‘We can make your path to university more
straightforward and quicker than the conventional process’. One agent at the UK Education Fair was
observed informing students that the visa application process was extremely complicated and the British High
Commission’s policy constantly changing, therefore they stood little chance of compiling a successful
application without this agent's help. In some cases, going to an agent does indeed speed up the process.

Given that many students require some help in applying for UK study and do not have access to other
sources of information, private counseling agencies can potentially play a useful and important role in

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facilitating student migration to the UK. Most UK colleges and universities depend on agencies to recruit
overseas students and a great many Bangladeshi students that come to the UK have received information
from or applied through an agency.

However, many of the problems with the current student migration process in Bangladesh relate to the role of
these counseling agencies. There is currently no framework for regulating them and although some are
genuine, this study found that deceptive and fraudulent practices are widespread, which are outlined below.
Even the British High Commission is worried about the number of fraud agencies and colleges in the UK.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The information below on the malpractices of agencies was gathered by Penelope Anthias in one of her
studies [Student Migration from Bangladesh to the UK] from a range of sources: discussions with students
who had experience dealing with agencies, interviews with current or past agency workers or owners,
discussions with ECOs at the British High Commission, articles in British and Bangladeshi newspapers and
visits to a number of agencies in the Gulshan and Banani areas of Dhaka with a Bangladeshi posing as a
prospective student.

I. Charging Fees
Private counseling agencies are funded directly by the UK colleges and universities they represent, and
receive a commission for every student that takes up a place. According to their agreement with universities,
they are not supposed to charge students any fee for their services, as was verified by discussions with
university representatives. However, this study found that in the vast majority of cases, agents do charge fees.
Agency fees were found to vary depending on both the agency and the student’s perceived ability to pay. For
example, two students interviewed had paid respectively 50,000 and 70,000 taka to the same agency for the
same service. In most cases, money would be required at various stages of the application process. Initial
advice and information sheets from different institutions would be given at no cost, although in a few cases a
minimal registration fee was charged.

II. Conning Students Out of Money
The study discovered that, in some cases, students who have paid large sums of money to agencies receive
no further information and are effectively being conned by supposed counseling agencies. One agency owner
described the process as follows: the agency takes Taka 10-20,000 in agency fees, then one or two months
later, produces a false offer letter and asks for tuition fees of Taka 5,000-10,000, a proportion of which they
would keep and a proportion of which would go to a UK college. [Student Migration from Bangladesh to the UK, Penelope
Anthias]

III. Fraudulent Practices
This study found that there is a high incidence of fraudulence at various stages of the process of applying for
study in the UK. It should be emphasized that this does not necessarily involve overseas study counseling
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agencies; in some cases, applicants may provide inaccurate information or obtain forged documentation by
their own devices.

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The following list is not exhaustive but covers what appear to be the most common
malpractices-

Firstly, many applications for student visas are submitted with forged bank statements. It has already been
noted that meeting financial requirements constitutes the major obstacle to most Bangladeshi applicants.
Because of the obvious potential for forgeries, the amount of money in the account must also be verified by
the bank manager, which is done via a phone call from an ECO in the British High Commission. As a way
around this, a common practice of many agencies is to bribe a Bank Manager to answer the phone and verify
the false information provided by forged bank statements. [Student Migration from Bangladesh to the UK, Penelope
Anthias]

According to the British High Commission, students sometimes provide false information about their
relationship with the person sponsoring them [Student Migration from Bangladesh to the UK, Penelope Anthias]. Although
there is no formal requirement that applicants must be sponsored by a relative, it is well-known that the British
High Commission looks more favorably upon applicants sponsored by a close relative, who is deemed a more
credible and reliable source of funding. In other cases, a phone call to the sponsor revealed either ignorance
of the applicant’s course of study or college fees, or the sponsor has never heard of the applicant. In the latter
case, applicants may be using the name of a wealthy person as their sponsor without their consent.

In addition to financial documents, other forged documents that may be supplied by agencies include offer
letters, degree certificates or grade transcripts, English Language certificates and letters stating receipt of
tuition fees. An ECO even reported that one particularly ingenious student had forged a student visa refusal
letter, sent it to a college and received a refund of tuition fees, then proceeded to travel to the UK on a student
visa. [Student Migration from Bangladesh to the UK, Penelope Anthias]

IV. Misleading Genuine Students about Quality of Institutions
This study found that, in many cases, information that agencies give regarding the nature and quality of
educational establishments and courses offered is extremely misleading. Clearly, because agencies receive a
commission from universities and colleges, one would not expect them to offer objective advice on study
options. For example, they will only promote the universities or colleges they represent, sometimes favoring
those institutions who pay the highest commission.

For genuine students, arriving at such a college disappoints their expectations of UK education and creates a
dilemma about what to do next. Those who wish to remain in the UK are unable to complain to anyone that
they are not attending a proper college as they may risk deportation. While some do return to Bangladesh and
others may succeed in changing college, it seems likely that some who find themselves in this situation having
paid considerable money to get there may decide to remain in the UK and work.

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V. Student Migration as a Route to Labor Migration
In addition to those who genuinely want to study in the UK, student migration in Bangladesh is also used as a
route to getting to the UK in order to work. From discussions arranged by Penelope Anthias (in her Student
Migration from Bangladesh to the UK) with those involved in the student migration process, it appears that a
large number of Bangladeshis attempting to migrate as students to the UK may be intending to work on
arrival. A number of agencies, the British Council and London Metropolitan’s counseling service all reported
this and said that their first task when meeting a prospective student is to assess whether or not they are
genuine.

VI. Fraud Colleges
It is not possible to assume that colleges are not genuine because they have low entrance requirements or
charge low tuition fees, and the British High Commission cannot reject applications on mere suspicion.
Investigation of such colleges in the UK is required to ascertain which are running proper classes of an
acceptable standard. However, there are indications that some of these colleges may not be genuine. For
example, websites often offer unconvincing and incomplete information, and entrance requirements seem
unrealistic for the courses offered. When examining student visa applications, it was noted that several
applicants had obtained an offer letter from the college even though they did not have an adequate level of
English.

Aside from those who receive offers from cheap low grade colleges, it is also common practice for students to
take up a place at a reputable institution, then to drop out and change to a low grade or bogus college on
arrival. In some cases, this may be because an application to a public university stands a higher chance of
success for obtaining a student visa; in other cases, the decision to drop out may be made later.

In addition to facilitating the entrance of non-genuine students, there is evidence that bogus UK college also
play a role in facilitating overstay, either by putting students in contact with agents that help secure visa
extensions or by enrolling students who have completed their studies at another institution. In 2004, an
investigation was conducted by a journalist of The Guardian newspaper into the possibility of enrolling at
London colleges for the purpose of obtaining a visa extension without attending regular classes. She
discovered that one college would enroll her on an MA in Business Administration for 700GBP and she would
only have to attend two classes a week, while another recommended a computing course which would only
require her to sign in once a month (The Guardian). One person interviewed in this study had also managed
to remain in the UK by this means; on completion of his MA, he had enrolled on another MA at a bogus
college in London. [Student Migration from Bangladesh to the UK, Penelope Anthias]

As this illustrates, the problem of student visa abuse is not specific to Bangladeshi students but a product of
the UK’s growing and unregulated market in overseas education. As described in another recent article in The
Guardian, ‘The business of bringing students and educators together has spawned hoards of agents across
the globe of varying degrees of competence, to recruit overseas students to UK universities and colleges. It

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has also simulated a massive British education bazaar where offerings range from the glittering qualifications
of elite universities to classes in small backstreet offices (The Guardian, ‘Systematic Abuse’ September 2005).
According to the same article, out of 1,200 colleges inspected in 2005, 300 were found to be unfit to take
foreign students, while the Home Office estimated 5,000 a year were abusing the student visa system.

In summary, it seems that the process of student migration from Bangladesh to the UK is not being governed
or regulated effectively at either end, but is dominated by bogus colleges in the UK and unscrupulous agents
in Bangladesh representing them, who profit from misleading genuine students and assisting prospective
labor migrants to enter the UK on student visas.

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Section: 3

Conclusion & recommendation 30

Conclusion

This study has dealt with a variety of issues surrounding student migration from Bangladesh to the UK,
regarding both the nature of this migration and the current system for managing it.

Firstly, it explored some of the motivations for Bangladeshis to study in the UK. These included enhanced job
prospects in Bangladesh, access to the international job market, higher social status in Bangladesh, historical
ties with the UK, the existence of a large Bangladeshi Diaspora community, English language and images of
the West and global culture gained through modern media. This highlights the importance both of country
context and of changes at a global level for understanding international student migration.

Secondly, this study has drawn on statistical data to analyze the current patterns and trends in student
migration from Bangladesh to the UK. Statistics reveal that the most popular destinations for Bangladeshi
students are, in descending order, the US, Australia, Canada, Cyprus, Japan and Malaysia.

Regarding the UK, a dramatic increase in student visa applications was noted over the last 5 years,
particularly steep in the last year, accompanied by a falling success rate of applications. In terms of subjects
studied, statistics revealed the popularity of business-related subjects and a clear bias towards scientific and
technical subjects as opposed to arts and social sciences. A sample of recent student visa applications also
pointed to a clear gender imbalance; less that 5 percent of applicants were female.

Having provided some useful background information, this study set out to describe and evaluate the current
system for managing student migration from Bangladesh to the UK. The process of applying for study in the
UK was described as consisting of three main stages: accessing information, applying for study and applying
for a student visa. This study described these stages in detail and explored what problems exist at each
stage.

The first major problem identified concerns access to information on studying in the UK. This study found that
although a range of information sources are freely available to Bangladeshis; in many cases prospective
students are unable to access this information independently. This can be because they lack the necessary
English language or research skills or because they are unaware of or lack access to existing information
sources. However, ability to access information was found to vary a great deal and social class was identified
as a crucial factor in this.

For many Bangladeshis, overseas study counseling agencies provide the major source of information on UK
study, which is due partly to their extensive advertising in a range of locations. The perception that agencies
offer a ‘fast-track’ route through the system and will help overcome formal obstacles also explains their
popularity. While acknowledging the potentially useful role that genuine agencies can play in facilitating

31

student migration from Bangladesh to the UK, this study highlighted the need for greater regulation of such
agencies in Bangladesh.

Finally, this study has discussed the use of student migration as a route to irregular labor migration to the UK.
While no exact figures are available, research suggests that a high number of applicants for UK study are
intending to work on arrival and that many of those entering the UK as students are doing so. Bogus UK
colleges and the agencies representing them in Bangladesh were found to play a crucial role in facilitating
those who intend to work, as well as misleading many genuine students.

Recommendations

Having identified some of the major problems and their implications, the following section puts forward a
number of policy recommendations for both Bangladesh and the UK, which can help to improve the process
for managing student migration.

• The education counselors’ services should be more widely promoted in order to compete with the
extensive advertising by other fraud agencies. In particular, staff of colleges, schools and universities
should be provided with more information on studying in the foreign countries and encouraged to
promote the BC’s (British Council) PASS (Professional Advisory Service for Students) service. An
extra effort should be made to target areas outside Dhaka.

• The High Commission’s website of respective countries should be made clearer and more user-
friendly for prospective applicants. When introducing the new self-assessment system, the website
should provide information on how to meet particular requirements and provide links to other useful
resources.

• A joint taskforce could be established between the student counselors, the High Commission and the
Ministry of Education, in order to work towards establishing an accreditation system for agencies.

• The license fee regulations for overseas counseling agencies could be reviewed in order to increase
their accountability and the Government of Bangladesh could monitor practices more closely.

• Information on formal processes of student migration to foreign countries could be given through
newspaper advertisements, public service announcements and television spots.

• The Bangladesh Ministry of Education website could contain some basic information on overseas
study and have links to useful resources for students interested in studying in foreign countries.

32

Theoretical Implications of Research

The findings of this research have a number of theoretical implications for our understanding of international
student migration more generally. As noted in the introduction, student migration tends to treated as a
relatively homogenous category of highly-skilled migration, which can either have the impact of ‘brain drain’ or
‘brain circulation’. In other words, it is assumed that student migrants are from educated backgrounds and will
later take up skilled jobs in their countries of origin or abroad.

Another finding of this study was the importance of social class regarding access to student migration, both in
terms of educational background, ability to access information and capacity to meet financial costs. The
significance of social class is reinforced by the important role that social networks play at various stages of the
migration process.

34

There are some specialized agencies in Bangladesh who arrange admission of Bangladeshi students in
various educational institutes of the world. The list consist of some of them are enclosed with this report
below-

Contact Info. Dealing Country

ADMISSIONABROAD.COMABC House(7th Floor)
8,kemal Attartuk Avenue,Banani,Dhaka-1213
Tel88028814565,9893959
Fax:88029885651
E-mail:bangladesh@admissionabroad.com
AMERICAN UNIVERSITY (BANGLADESH STUDY CENTER) USA
House 67/A, Road 8/A
Dhanmondi, Dhaka
Phone: +88-02-8112832
AUSTRALIAN CENTER FOR EDUCATION AUSTRALIA
IDP Education Australia, Bangladesh
CWN (A) 12 Kemal Ataturk Avenue
Gukshan 2, Dhaka 1212
Tele: +88-02-606224/606829/9883545/8821067
Fax: 88-02-8823343
E-mail: idpbd@treximpcom
Web: www.idpbd.com, www.idp.com&
B S B NETWORK
City heart (13th Floor)
Suit No 6, 67, Naya Paltan, Dhaka 1000
Tele: +88-02-9353494/
9340536/9349471
B S B GLOBAL NETWORK CANADA, USA, GREECE,
Plot 22 (3rd Floor) UK, IRELAND, NZ
Gulshan Circle 2, Dhaka AUSTRALIA
Tele: +88-02-8818816, 8816394,
9890523, 8819715, 9895772
Mobile:019322407, 0171179202
Fax: +88-02-8811514, 9895772
E-mail: sworld@bdonline.com
Web: www.bsbbd.com

Ctg. Address:
th
69, Agrabad, Fl. 6
Bank Asia Building
Chittagong
Tele: +88-031-391516

36

Mobile: 018-282346-7, 0171-830099
Bridge One
Concept Tower
68-69, Green Road(3rd Floor)
Office:301,302,Dhaka Mob:0173-016368
BROADWAY EDUCATION CONSULTANT
House #70 Block#E, Road 17
Banani, Dhaka 1213 SYDNEY
Tele: +88-02-8825567 fax:8826894
E-mail: bweducon@citech-bd.net
CISCO
Sezan Point:(West side of Overbridge),(5th Floor)
2, Indira Rd. Framgate, Dhaka 1205
Tele: +88-02-8152257/9144976/9173800/8121781 LONDON
Mobile: 018171534/018826516
E-mail: ciscoint_bd2000@yahoo.com
Web: www.ciscoint.com
CREATIVE IMMIGRATION & BUSINESS CONSULTANTS LTD.
Kader Arcade
33 Mirpur Road
Dhanmondi, Dhaka 1205
NEW ZEALAND
Tele: +88-02-8619350/8610392/
8615794/9664961/9664965
Mobile: 0171617015Fax: E-mail: cibcl@creative-bd.com
Web: www.creative-bd.com
EDUCATION CONSULTING GROUP (ECG)
Dhaka Office:
51, Motijheel (2nd floor)
Suit 10, Dhaka 1217
Tele: +88-02-9559243
GREECE

Sylhet Office:
Tele: +88-0821-715386
Tele: 018-806550/0171-787822/
019650097/0172-115454
FALCON EDUCATION & CONSULTANCY SERVICES

Rd. 27, Block J, Banani Dhaka
Tele: +88-02-8820495
Mobile: 0171-837456 UK
E-mail: cascl@citech-bd.com

Branch office:
CENTER FOR ADVANCE STUICES & COUNSELING LIMITED

37

H #16(1st floor), R#27,B-J Banani,Dhaka-1213
Tele:9873245/8820495/9890916
Fax:880(+2)8813926
E-mail:cascl@citech-bd.com, fahim@cascl-higherstudy.com
FOREIGN EDUCATION SERVICE BANGLADESH (FEA)
216, North Shahjanpur
Amtala (1st Floor)
Tele: +88-02-9350632 UK
Mobile: 0171833772/011805936
Fax: 88-02-9348174
E-mail: fes@aitlbd.net
IBM EDUCATION SERVICE
1/B, D I T Avenue (4th fl.)
Motijheel C/A, Dhaka 1000
Tele: +88-02-9568490
Mobile: 0171-350742

Chittagong Office:
28,Boshor Market, Chockbazer
Under Agrani Bank, Chittagong
Tele:80-31-654578
Mob:019-850352
IRELAND, SPAIN, UK,
Sylhet office: Century Shopping Center(2nd Floor)
FRANCE, BELGIUM,
Sunamgong Road, Amborkhana,Sylhet
SWITZERLAND, AUSTRALIA,
Tele:880-0821-711103
NZ

Australia Office:
5/183 King Street Moscat
Nsw 2020, Sydney,Australia
Tele:(00)61-2-96696627/(00)61-2-95931108/(00)61-0422162418
E-mail:monimokta@hotmail.com
UK Office:
399/A,High Street
Kikrkealdy, File, Ky1 2SG,Scotland,UK
Tele:(00)44 0159 592900
Mob:(00)44 07940374467
MAK & ASSOCIATES
Dream House, Mirpur-6-KhaB-Road
Plot # 34,(at Mirpur -10 Golchakar)
Mirpur, Dhaka 1216 CANADA
Tele: +88-02-8011976, 9005088
Fax: +88-02-8017503
E-mail: orient@bol-online.com
PERDANA STUDENT'S SUCCESS OVERSEAS

38

Plot CWS (B), 14,
Corner of Rd. 24 & 33, Gulshan, Dhaka 1212
Tele: +88-02-9888088/8815556/9882598
E-mail: admissions@perdanacollege.com
SAS; Study Abroad Services
Suite # 6/3 Eastern Plaza
Sonargaon Road,Hatirpool Dhaka-1205
E-mail:sasbd@lastsave.com,shafiq@sasbd.net,admin@sasbd.net
Web:www.sasbd.net
UCAS
Darus Salam Arched (7th Floor)
14, Purana Paltan Dhaka-1000 UK
Tele: +88-02-9570234
Mobile 018-106593
.

39

Performance Analysis of
Student Counseling Agencies in Bangladesh

Statement of the problem

Going abroad for study purpose is a very common phenomenon in this age. Students from all around

the world gather in one country or campus to study what they think is best for them. But before going

there, they need to undergo some procedures to make them compatible for that country. And here

comes the job of a student counselor who can help groom the students according to the procedures

of the country they are interested to go. They guide them through all the processes and help them

overcome all possible problems in their path. But are the students happy with these counselors’

performance? How are they actually doing in their job? This report will try to analyze the present

scenario of these counselors who work for Bangladeshi students going abroad.

Aims and objectives

To find out the actual performance of student counselors in Bangladesh and are the students happy

with their performances is the main objective of this study.

Broad research question

The basic idea of this study is to portray the working procedures of the student counselors in

Bangladesh. This may include these parts also- how they’re doing they are doing their jobs, how they

are guiding the students, what are the processes before going abroad, how they are collaborating with

the foreign institutions. This study will also cover the situation from the students’ point of view, their

perceptions, their motivations and their expectations from these counselors. The focus will be on the

prospects and problems in this sector.

Literatur e review

41

For this study, interview of some members from the student counseling agencies of Bangladesh will

be conducted to know their point of view. Some articles from the internet will also be reviewed in

writing of this report. The Annual Review, Forty Years of Student Counseling, Mobility Matters, Annual

Reports of UK Council for International Student Affairs and The perception about higher education in

Bangladesh by Syed Manzoorul Islam will also be reviewed for this study. The staffs from the British

Council Bangladesh will also be interviewed for this study. As this is an exploratory research, so no

certain conclusions will be here but a total scenario will be portrayed.

Migration, both within and beyond borders, has become an increasingly prominent theme in domestic

and international debates, and is the topic of the 2009 Human Development Report (HDR09). Student

migration is an increasingly important phenomenon in Bangladesh and the UK ranks among the most

popular and highly regarded study destinations. However, as elsewhere, this migration has received
scant attention from the government, academics or researchers. This study will try to look in detail at

the process of applying for study in the UK and the role of various student counselors involved. It will

then seek to evaluate this process and the role of the different actors involved, identifying what major

problems exist. In particular, it aims to draw attention to the experiences of Bangladeshi students in

applying for UK study.

Methodology

To understand how the student counselor works and how they guide the students, the information

needed will be mainly secondary in nature. To conduct the study, it will be necessary to know what

people think about these counselors and what do they expect from them. The study is exploratory in

nature and the information needed is mainly secondary. But to know the perception of the students

and also their satisfaction, a survey will be conducted on the counselor with an open ended

questionnaire to know what they have to say. The sampling distribution will be random in nature and

questions may be both disguised and undisguised.

Research implication

The implication of this research will be strictly academic for now but later on it can be used by the

research firms to get the overall views of the immigrant students.

42

Questions asked in the interview
To the Student Counselor

Q . 1 Wh a t se rvice s do yo u p ro vid e to t he st ud en t s in te re st ed in st ud yin g

a b ro a d?

Q . 2 Wh a t do stu de n t s exp e ct f ro m you ?

Q . 3 Wh a t a re t he p ro ce sse s of st ud yin g ab roa d ?

Q . 4 Wh a t is you r su cce ss rat e in t e rms o f se n d in g stu de n t s ab roa d ?

Q . 5 Do st ud en t s h ave a ny co mp la in t s/ sug ge st ion s a bo ut t he se rvice you

p ro vide ?

Q . 6 Wh a t a re t he con se qu en ce s th at a stu de n t ne ed s t o fa ce be fo re

mig ra t io n?

45

Bibliography
 Findlay, A., King, R, Stam, A, Ruiz-Gelices, E (2006) ‘Ever-reluctant Europeans: The Changing
Geographies of UK Students Studying and Working Abroad’, European Urban and Regional
Studies, 13(4): 291-318.
 Hugo, G. (1996) ‘Brain Drain and Student Movements’, in Lloyd, P J and Williams, L S (eds),
International Trade and Migration in the APEC Region, Oxford: OUP: 210-28.
 2008, 40 Years of International Students, UKCISA Policies, UK Council for International Student
Affairs
 2008-2009, Annual Review, UK Council for International Student Affairs
 H. Hackney and S. Nye, 1973, Evaluation of Student Counselors and Supervisors, Prentice Hall,
Englewood Cliffs
th
 2009, 30 March, Annual Report and Summarized Account, UKCISA

Websites
 Information regarding British Council is available at the following link and further -
nd
http://www.britishcouncil.org/bangladesh-about-us.htm [accessed 2 March 2010]
th
 Information regarding Maces is available at - http://www.macesbd.com/ [accessed 6 March
2010]
th
 Information regarding BIECA is available at - http://www.bieca.org/about.php [accessed on 4
March 2010]
 Information regarding UKCISA and its aims & activities are available at -
th
http://www.ukcisa.org.uk/about/index.php [accessed 8 March 2010]

47

Annex: 1

Interviews

 Ms Riaqah Walie Khan, Education Promotion and Marketing Manager, British Council
 Mr. Rouham Manzoor, Director, Maces

Annex: 2

Education Fair

th th
 UK Education Fair (organized by the British Council), Dhaka Sheraton Hotel, 4 & 5 March 2009
& the same date of 2010
 Australian Education Exhibition (organized by IDP), Dhaka Sheraton Hotel, 25-26 February 2008
th th
 Education Fair (organized by BSB Network), Dhaka Sheraton Hotel, 11 -14 March 2010

48

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