Online certificate authentication could save Tk 7b annually: Experts
Published :
Updated :
For all latest news, follow The Financial Express Google News channel.
The online authentication of certificates for Bangladeshis going abroad, including students in higher education and workers under the Apostolic Convention, could save Tk 7 billion annually, experts said on Tuesday.
Bangladeshis still need all their documents to be authenticated with huge cost and effort. But once Bangladesh signs the Apostolic Convention, it will ease the process of going abroad, they added.
The Cabinet earlier in May this year approved the signing of the Apostolic Convention. This international convention will eliminate the need for further authentication of various certificates, documents, and affidavits of Bangladeshis going abroad if they have been duly authenticated in Bangladesh.
The speakers made the remarks at a workshop titled online apostolic platform verification of certificates of students who want to go abroad with degrees earned from all universities of the country at the UGC auditorium.
The program was addressed by UGC members Prof Mohammad Tanzimuddin Khan, Prof Mohammad Anwar Hossain, and UGC Secretary Md. Fakhrul Islam.
Once signed the Apostolic Convention, students and job seekers going abroad will not need to re-authenticate their various certificates, documents, and affidavits in 127 countries that have signed the agreement.
Speakers mentioned that it will be possible to authenticate more than two hundred and fifty thousand certificates online annually through the Apostolic system, which will save about Tk 7 billion.
In addition, they said that if the certificates are authenticated through the Apostolic system, the time and labor of the students will be saved and the suffering will be reduced.
The speakers at the workshop also said that if the authentication is done online, the image of the country will shine and the tendency of counterfeiting and the violence of middlemen in authentication can be prevented.
More than 10,000 certificates can be authenticated through the Apostolic system every day, they added.
An initiative has been taken to connect the country's universities to the 'ApostolicMyGov' (apostille.mygov.bd) platform to authenticate the certificates of Bangladeshi students interested in pursuing higher education abroad.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Education, Ministry of ICT, A2I and UGC will implement online verification of higher education certificates.
The program was attended by examination controllers and IT officers from 49 private universities.