For the tenth consecutive year, the Bangla Language Institute (BLI) of Independent University, Bangladesh (IUB) is hosting a group of American students to learn Bangla language.  A faculty of instructors and additional support staff operate this intensive nine-week programme under the Critical Language Scholarship (CLS) programme of the US government. The course offers instruction at the beginning, intermediate, and advanced levels.
   As a concluding ceremony, the Bangla Language Institute (BLI) organised a cultural programme titled “Banglar Maya Amay Tane” recently at IUB campus in Bashundhara, Dhaka. The foreign students performed to show their overall experiences in Bangladesh during training period. The programme comprised of songs, drama, dance and recitation by the American students all of which were in Bangla.
  Among others, A Matin Chowdhury, chairman, IUB Founding Trust, Rashed Chowdhury, chairman, Board of Trustees, IUB, Professor M Omar Rahman, Vice Chancellor, Ann McConnell, Director, American Center, Dhaka, Todd H McKay, CLS Resident Director and Razima Selim Chowdhury, CLS Institute Director spoke on the occasion.
The goal of this programme is to increase proficiency in the language so that the students are able to use Bangla in their professional careers. The students compete nationally for scholarships to attend this summer program.  Their professional interests range from world health, international education, economics, and law, to traditional academic pursuits of linguistics and literature.