Bangladeshi Team Bags Glory with Green Innovation at South Asia Hackathon

A team of five Bangladeshi university students has won the “Plastic Free Rivers and Seas for South Asia (PLEASE)” Hackathon, showcasing an innovative environmental technology to combat plastic pollution in rivers and seas across South Asia.

The winning team, Plastix 2.0, comprised students from two institutions: Siam Bin H. Rahman from the University of Information Technology and Sciences (UITS), and Taqi Tajwaruzzaman Khan, Ahabab Imtiaz Risat, Tasnim Ashraf, and Zafrin Shayla from the Islamic University of Technology (IUT).

Their pioneering solution focuses on refining recycled polypropylene plastics by removing color, odor, and other contaminants, upgrading them to near-new and food-grade quality. This innovation earned them the top honor among over 250 young participants from SAARC countries.

“This regional hackathon, held every five years, aims to foster innovation in environmental technology among youth from South Asia,” said Professor Safayet Hossain of UITS. “It is organized by the South Asia Co-operative Environment Programme (SACEP), supported by the World Bank and implemented by UNOPS.”

Participants from Afghanistan, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka also competed in the event. The 250+ young innovators formed 98 teams, each proposing sustainable solutions for managing inland and transboundary plastic pollution.

After national-level screenings, 23 teams were shortlisted for the final round, which took place on April 6 at the Cinnamon Grand Hotel in Colombo, Sri Lanka. Each team presented their ideas to a panel of judges who evaluated them based on innovation, feasibility, business model, regional scalability, and environmental and social impact.

Plastix 2.0 was declared the winner on April 13, bringing pride to Bangladesh with a solution hailed for its inclusive and sustainable potential.