Privacy Policy

Decent Educare ("we," "us," or "our") is committed to protecting and respecting your privacy. This Privacy Policy ("Policy") explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you visit our office, use our website (decenteducare.com), engage our counseling services, or otherwise interact with us. This Policy applies to all students, parents, guardians, and visitors who use our services. Please read this Policy carefully to understand our practices regarding your personal data. By using our services, you acknowledge that you have read and understood this Policy. For specific information regarding our use of cookies and tracking technologies, please refer to our Cookie Policy.

We collect several categories of personal information to provide our study abroad consultancy services effectively: Personal Identification Information • Full name, date of birth, gender, and nationality • Passport number, expiry date, and scanned copies • National ID number (where applicable) • Photographs for application and visa purposes Contact Information • Current residential address in Bangladesh • Phone number(s) and email address(s) • Emergency contact details Academic Information • Educational transcripts and certificates (SSC, HSC, Bachelor's, Master's, etc.) • GPA/CGPA and grading scale details • Standardized test scores (IELTS, PTE, TOEFL, GRE, GMAT, SAT) • Academic references and letters of recommendation Professional Information (for postgraduate applicants) • Curriculum Vitae (CV) / Resume • Employment history and proof of work experience • Salary slips or employment letters Financial Information • Bank statements and financial solvency documents • Sponsor's income proof and tax returns • Scholarship award letters (if applicable) Technical and Behavioral Data (Website Users) • IP address, browser type, and device information • Pages visited, time spent on pages, and navigation paths • Referral source and search queries used to find our website • Data collected through cookies (see Cookie Policy for details)

We collect information through the following channels: Directly From You When you fill out consultation forms, application forms, or questionnaires; when you provide documents to our counselors; during in-person, phone, or video counseling sessions; or when you communicate with us via email, social media, or messaging apps (e.g., WhatsApp, Messenger). Automatically When You Visit Our Website Through cookies, web beacons, and similar technologies that track your browsing behavior, as detailed in our Cookie Policy. We also collect data when you submit forms on our website or subscribe to our newsletter. From Third Parties • From educational institutions (e.g., verification of admission status or transcript requests) • From testing organizations (e.g., IELTS/PTE score verification) • From visa application centers and embassies • From references you provide • From public sources (e.g., university rankings, publicly available scholarship databases)

We use your personal information for the following specific purposes: Service Delivery • Assessing your academic profile and determining suitable study destinations • Shortlisting universities and preparing your applications • Drafting, reviewing, and editing your Statement of Purpose (SOP) and essays • Preparing and reviewing your visa documentation • Scheduling and conducting mock visa interviews • Coordinating with universities on your behalf Communication • Responding to your inquiries and providing status updates • Sending you reminders about deadlines, document submissions, and appointments • Distributing newsletters, informational content, and promotional materials about our services (with your consent where required) Test Preparation • Enrolling you in IELTS, PTE, or other test preparation courses • Tracking your progress and providing feedback • Communicating class schedules and materials Legal and Compliance • Verifying your identity and documents to prevent fraud • Complying with the legal requirements of destination countries (e.g., immigration laws) • Meeting our own legal, regulatory, and auditing obligations Business Improvement • Analyzing service trends to improve our counseling methodologies • Conducting internal research and data analysis • Maintaining records for quality assurance purposes

Under the applicable data protection laws of Bangladesh, we rely on the following legal bases to process your personal data: Consent Where you provide explicit consent for us to process your data for specific purposes, such as sending marketing communications or sharing your profile with universities. Contractual Necessity Processing is necessary for the performance of the service agreement you have entered into with us. For example, we must process your academic records to submit your university applications. Legitimate Interest Where we have a genuine business reason to process your data that does not override your privacy rights. Examples include improving our website, preventing fraud, and responding to general inquiries. Legal Obligation Where processing is necessary to comply with a legal obligation to which we are subject, such as maintaining financial records as required by Bangladeshi tax law or responding to lawful requests from government authorities.

We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal information. We may share your data with the following categories of recipients strictly for the purposes described in this Policy: Educational Institutions We share your application materials (transcripts, SOP, CV, etc.) directly with the universities you have chosen to apply to. This is essential for the admission process. Government Authorities & Embassies We share your visa documents, financial proofs, and personal details with the relevant visa application centers and immigration authorities (e.g., UK Visas and Immigration, IRCC Canada, US Department of State) as required for visa processing. Testing Organizations We may share your test registration details with bodies like the British Council, IDP, or Pearson for test booking and score verification. Service Providers We use trusted third-party service providers who assist us in operating our business, such as: • Cloud hosting providers (for secure data storage) • Email and communication platforms • Payment processors (for fee collection) These providers are contractually obligated to keep your data confidential and are only permitted to use it to provide services on our behalf. Professional Advisors We may share information with legal advisors, auditors, or regulatory bodies when required by law or to protect our legal rights. Other Students or Parents (Group Sessions) If you participate in group counseling sessions, workshops, or group chats, other participants may see your name. We will not share your sensitive academic or financial data in these settings without your explicit permission.

We retain your personal information only for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes for which it was collected, including to satisfy any legal, accounting, or reporting requirements. Specific retention periods include: • Active Applications: We retain all application-related documents until your admission and visa process is fully completed, plus an additional 12 months for post-departure support. • Financial Records: Invoices, receipts, and payment records are retained for a minimum of 6 years as required by Bangladeshi tax regulations. • Test Preparation Data: Class attendance records and test scores are retained for 2 years after the completion of your course. • Website Analytics: Anonymized analytics data is retained for up to 26 months (standard for Google Analytics). • Inactive Files: If you engage with us but do not proceed with an application within 18 months, we will securely archive or delete your physical and digital files. When your data is no longer needed, it will be securely deleted or anonymized. Physical documents are shredded, and digital files are permanently erased from our systems and backups.

Depending on applicable laws, you have the following rights regarding your personal data: Right of Access You can request a copy of the personal data we hold about you. We will provide this within a reasonable timeframe. Right to Rectification If any information we hold about you is inaccurate or incomplete, you can request that we correct it. Keeping your information up to date is crucial, especially for visa applications. Right to Erasure ("Right to be Forgotten") You can request that we delete your personal data. However, this right is subject to exceptions — for example, we may need to retain certain data to comply with legal obligations or to defend legal claims. Right to Restrict Processing You can request that we limit how we use your data while a dispute is being resolved or an accuracy check is being carried out. Right to Data Portability You can request to receive your personal data in a structured, commonly used, and machine-readable format (e.g., CSV or PDF). Right to Object You can object to our processing of your data based on legitimate interests or for direct marketing purposes. We will stop processing your data for marketing immediately upon receiving such a request. Right to Withdraw Consent Where our processing is based on your consent, you can withdraw that consent at any time. Withdrawal of consent does not affect the lawfulness of processing carried out before the withdrawal. To exercise any of these rights, please contact us at privacy@decenteducare.com. We may ask for identity verification before fulfilling your request to protect against unauthorized access.

Because our services involve applying to universities and embassies in other countries, your personal data will inherently be transferred outside of Bangladesh. Typical destination countries for data transfers include the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, the United States, Germany, Malaysia, and others. When transferring data internationally, we ensure that: • The transfer is necessary for the performance of our service agreement with you (e.g., submitting your application to a UK university). • The receiving institution or authority has appropriate data protection policies in place (e.g., universities complying with GDPR in Europe or FIPPA in Canada). • We use secure, encrypted channels (e.g., secure university portals, encrypted email) for transmitting sensitive documents like passports and bank statements. You acknowledge and consent to these international transfers as a necessary part of receiving our study abroad consultancy services.

Our services are primarily directed at individuals aged 16 and above who are preparing for higher education. However, we do assist younger students preparing for overseas study. If you are under 18 years of age: • You must have a parent or legal guardian review this Privacy Policy and provide consent on your behalf before you use our services or submit any personal information to us. • Your parent or guardian will be required to sign our service agreement and may be the primary point of contact for financial and legal matters. • We will only collect the minimum data necessary to provide our services and will handle it with heightened care. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13 for marketing purposes. If we discover that we have collected data from a child under 13 without verifiable parental consent, we will take steps to delete that information promptly.

We implement robust technical and organizational measures to protect your personal data against unauthorized access, alteration, disclosure, or destruction. These measures include: Physical Security • Locked filing cabinets for physical documents in our office premises • Controlled access to our office areas where files are stored • Secure document disposal through cross-cut shredding Digital Security • Encryption of data in transit (SSL/TLS for our website and email communications) • Password-protected systems and multi-factor authentication for staff accounts • Regular security audits and vulnerability assessments of our IT infrastructure • Access controls ensuring that staff can only access the data necessary for their specific role • Regular data backups stored in secure, encrypted environments Staff Training All Decent Educare employees and counselors undergo mandatory data protection training and sign confidentiality agreements. They are required to handle student data strictly in accordance with this Policy. Despite our best efforts, no method of transmission over the Internet or electronic storage is 100% secure. While we strive to protect your data, we cannot guarantee its absolute security.

Our website may contain links to third-party websites, including university portals, visa application centers, testing organizations (British Council, IDP, Pearson), and educational resources. These third-party websites have their own privacy policies, which we strongly encourage you to read. We do not have control over the content, privacy practices, or security measures of these external sites. The inclusion of any link does not imply our endorsement of the linked website or its operators. Your interactions with third-party websites are governed solely by their respective terms and policies, and we assume no responsibility for any data you provide to them.

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, technological advancements, or legal and regulatory requirements in Bangladesh and destination countries. When we make changes: • We will update the "Last Updated" date at the top of this page. • For material changes that significantly affect your rights, we will make reasonable efforts to notify you via email or a prominent notice on our website. • We may also inform you during your next counseling session or phone interaction. We encourage you to periodically review this Privacy Policy to stay informed about how we protect your information. Your continued use of our services after any modifications constitutes your acceptance of the updated Policy.

If you have any questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or our handling of your personal data, please contact our Data Protection Team: Decent Educare — Data Protection Officer [Office Address — Dhaka, Bangladesh] Email: privacy@decenteducare.com Phone: +880 1XXX-XXXXXX Hours: Saturday – Thursday, 9:00 AM – 8:00 PM (BST) If you are unsatisfied with our response to your data rights request, you have the right to lodge a complaint with the relevant data protection authority or consumer rights organization in Bangladesh. We will provide you with the appropriate contact details upon request.